The Black Pirate
by madaboutforks
Summary: When Lady Renesmee de Cullen's ship is attacked by buccaneers, led by the infamous Black Pirate, she suddenly finds herself thrown into a dangerous world of passion and adventure. A swashbuckling Twipirate romance. AH/AU
1. Attack

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the authors. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. This is just a tribute.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1.<strong>

**Attack**

Lady Renesmee de Cullen turned to Captain Newton in surprise and pointed to the distant shores. "Sir, is that Sol Duc?" She had not been expecting to see land so soon.

"No, my Lady," he answered nervously. "That is the Isle of La Push."

Her warm brown eyes opened wide. "Oh!" She rested against the ship's wooden rail and asked anxiously. "Is it safe to sail so close?"

She had heard many stories of the Quileutes, the warlike people of La Push, and wondered if it was wise to enter their waters.

The captain spoke bracingly – though a slight flush crept onto his fair features. "The Duke insisted we make the voyage as quickly as possible, and this is the fastest route to Sol Duc."

Renesmee sighed, but made no further comment. He was a devoted grandfather, but Charles Swan, the 11th Duke of Forkland, was a stubborn man, and there was really no point in arguing once he had given an order. Renesmee fully understood the captain's predicament. Captain Newton could sense her remaining anxiety and tried to reassure her.

"I wouldn't worry, my Lady. Forkland has no quarrel with La Push, if we had the misfortune to encounter any privateers, they would be unlikely to attack us."

He prayed that this was actually true, for although it was a rare occurrence, Captain Newton knew perfectly well that even ships from Forkland could sometimes fall victim to the pirates operating from that fearsome isle. Being a conscientious man, he had tried to persuade the Duke of this very thing before the _Cruiser_ set sail, but to no avail. The Duke had dismissed the captain's fears with a gruff shake of his head.

"King Samuel would not dare set his privateers onto my flagship."

Captain Newton was not entirely convinced that the pirates really cared about what King Samuel thought, but he had still nodded in agreement. "Very good, your Grace."

Fortunately, Renesmee was not privy to Captain Newton's thoughts and was greatly calmed by his words.

"Thank you, Captain. That has put my mind at ease."

She said these words with such a sweet smile that he quickly had to remind himself that he was a married man, and she was young enough to be his daughter. It was unfortunate for him that her beautiful eyes were so very like her mother's.

In his youth – when he was just a humble midshipman in the Duke's fleet – Captain Newton had idolised Lady Isabella Marie Swan, and whenever he gazed upon her daughter he felt as if he was twenty again. No doubt his wife, Jessica, would have been quick to assure him that he was not, but luckily for him, she was at home in Forkland and not aboard his ship.

The day was overcast and windy, so after a short conversation with the captain, Lady Renesmee left the ship's deck and retreated to her warm cabin below, where she found her maid, Miss Weber, busy tidying the contents of her trunk. She smiled as her mistress entered the cabin and stood up to her full height.

She was a tall, angular woman, and a loyal and trusted servant, who had cared for Renesmee since she was a child. Miss Weber was dressed in a staid, grey maid's uniform, with a crisp white apron. Her greying hair was pulled back into a severe knot, which only seemed to accentuate her air of extreme respectability.

"Did you speak to the captain, Miss Renesmee?"

"Yes." Lady Renesmee nodded. "He said that the wind is in our favour and we should reach Sol Duc by tomorrow."

Miss Weber gave sigh of relief; she did not enjoy sea travel and was pleased to know that their journey would not be delayed by bad weather. Renesmee sat down at the table and picked up a silver hand mirror. The sea breeze had swept her hair into a tangle, and she was grateful when Miss Weber stepped behind her and began to brush her long auburn curls, quickly returning them to a state of silky perfection.

Miss Weber dressed her young mistress's hair with great care, pinning the front away from her face with two ornate combs, whilst allowing the rest to cascade down her back in loose glossy curls. She glanced down at Lady Renesmee with barely concealed pride. Was there a lovelier girl in all the kingdoms? Miss Weber was sure that there was not.

She was probably right; Renesmee was a rare beauty. She had inherited the fair skin of her father's people and his ruddy hair, along with her mother's roseleaf complexion and dark eyes. Her features were neat and pretty, added to which, she had a natural vivacity that was all her own. When all these positive attributes were combined with her slender figure and graceful bearing, it was really no surprise that she struck all who met her as a remarkably lovely girl.

Miss Weber knew that Lady Renesmee's parents held high hopes for her future. With her lineage and looks, she would be able to find a husband in the most elevated circles. Miss Weber gave a small sigh, it was a great thing for her mistress to have such marital opportunities, but a small part of her could not help but wish that Renesmee might marry for love. Had the Gods really given her so much beauty, and such a sweet temperament, to be thrown away in a political alliance?

Renesmee stood up and smoothed out her elegant blue gown. She inspected her hair and smiled gratefully at her maid. "Thank you, Angela."

It was at that moment that a shout rang out from the deck above. "_Ship Ahoy!_"

She glanced at Miss Weber. "Who do you think it could be?"

"I have no idea, Miss."

Renesmee did not waste time in further discussion, she grabbed her cloak and hurried out of the cabin and up onto the ship's deck. Several of the crewmen were standing against the wooden rail at the _Cruiser's_ stern, pointing in the direction of La Push. She joined them at the rail, leaning over to get a better view.

She could see another ship approaching, a smaller vessel than the _Cruiser_, but very neatly built, with graceful lines and a smooth hull, and she seemed to be moving at great speed. Lady Renesmee watched the new ship's approach with curiosity. Standing beside her was Mr Crowley, the _Cruiser's_ first mate. He was looking through a brass telescope.

A second later, Captain Newton crossed the deck. "Well Crowley, who is it?"

Mr Crowley turned to him fearfully. "Sir, it's the _Rabbit_."

Renesmee had heard that name many times on this voyage, and she had always smiled to think that a pirate ship should have such a harmless sounding name. But now, for the very first time, the name instilled the kind of fear in her, which it had in the crewmen who had spoken it. The last thing she felt like doing was laughing. She tore her eyes from the captain's face and turned them towards the sea, taking a long look at the ship sailed by the infamous Black Pirate.

The _Rabbit_ was gaining on the _Cruiser_ with terrifying speed. Captain Newton told Mr Crowley to escort Lady Renesmee back to her cabin and find a crewman to stand guard outside her door. His energy was then diverted into preparing his men for the arrival of the _Rabbit_. He barked out his orders as Renesmee was led below deck.

Mr Crowley left her in her cabin with Miss Weber, giving firm instructions that they should remain there until someone came to tell them that the coast was clear.

"Don't worry, my Lady, I doubt they'll try to board us. They're probably just curious," he said, without a trace of conviction.

Miss Weber turned pale and sank down onto a chair. Lady Renesmee caught hold of her hand and squeezed it tightly, giving her a sympathetic look. "I'm sure he's right," she lied, while only just managing to keep the tremors out of her voice.

The minutes ticked by as they waited in their cabin. Miss Weber had the forethought to remove Lady Renesmee's costly jewels from their case and hide them in a pouch under her apron. With a shaking hand Renesmee unfastened the rope-like golden chain from around her neck and pulled out her earrings.

"Here, Angela. Take these." She handed them to Miss Weber.

It wasn't long before they could hear the shouts of the crew as the _Rabbit_ drew alongside the _Cruiser_. Renesmee and Miss Weber cowered together in the cabin, trembling with fright, and they heard the unmistakeable sounds of musket fire, followed by the warlike cries of their attackers. Within moments their ears were assaulted by the sounds of a battle on the deck. The clash of steel and cries of the crew rang out above them.

They listened intently, trying to understand what was happening. It was impossible to tell, by the confused yells and loud crashes, which side had the advantage. The ladies huddled in silence, praying for the fighting to end.

They didn't have long to wait, the clash was fierce, but short lived. As soon as the fighting ceased, they heard a series of orders being called out to the crew. It was unclear who had claimed victory, until Renesmee and her maid heard the sound of deep voices echoing below deck.

"This way. Search the cabins. I'll check the crews' quarters."

"Take what you can carry."

The buccaneers had overpowered the crew of the _Cruiser_ and were now plundering the ship as quickly as they could. The two women clung to each other as the heavy footsteps drew near. They heard their guard cry out as he was knocked to the floor. A moment later, the door to their cabin was kicked open and a huge man strode into the room.

He was very tall and muscular, with dark russet skin and cropped black hair. He had to duck his head to get through the doorway. Lady Renesmee had not previously encountered many people from La Push, and although she recognised the distinctive Quileute look, she was completely overwhelmed by his sheer size. She gasped and stumbled back into the corner of the room, pulling her maid with her.

On catching sight of the retreating beauty, the huge man stopped dead in his tracks and his eyes flew wide with surprise. Renesmee gazed up at him fearfully and was not reassured by what she saw. The man had a hard, angular face and his expression was uncompromising. She backed away, as far as she could, until she was pressed right up against the wall of her cabin.

"What's this?" The man raised a mocking eyebrow, as he looked her up and down. "It seems that the _Cruiser _is carrying something worth having, after all." Renesmee flinched at his harsh tone, but before she could reply, he had stepped forward and caught her arm in a rough grasp. "You're coming with me, my beauty."

"_No!_" She cried, trying desperately to free herself from his tight grip. "_Let go of me!_"

Miss Weber instantly came to her aid, striking at the man's arm. "Release her, you _brute!_"

But to no avail. He was so sturdy that he barely noticed their struggles; he continued to pull Renesmee forward with inexorable strength. He held Miss Weber away from himself with one arm and called out to one of his companions.

"_Brady!_"

A moment later, another huge Quileute man appeared in the doorway. He was taller and less thickset than his friend, and he looked slightly younger. But his presence did nothing to alleviate the fears of the two women. They both drew back at the sight of him. He seemed surprised by the scene that met his eyes.

"Paul, what are you doing?"

"I'm taking this vixen to the captain," Renesmee's captor replied, thrusting her forward to meet his friend's gaze. "But her maid is trying to stop me. Maybe you could take her off my hands."

The newcomer moved forward, eagerly reaching out to Renesmee, before his friend snapped angrily. "No, you fool, take the _maid!_"

With these words, he marched out of the cabin, dragging Lady Renesmee along with him, followed by Miss Weber, who was caught in a firm hold by his friend. Renesmee struggled and wept the whole way up to the deck, but to no avail. The man gave no sign that he could even hear her pleas.

He pushed her ahead of himself, through the door of the lower deck, and she caught her breath at the scene which met her eyes.

The _Rabbit_ had pulled alongside the starboard bow of the _Cruiser_, and several boarding ramps ran between the two ships. The crew of the _Cruiser_ were lined up, with their wrists trussed together, tied to the ships' rail, and a number of bodies lay at their feet. The deck was swarming with Quileute pirates, all swarthy men from La Push, many of them were shirtless and not one of them under six feet tall.

Lady Renesmee gave a frightened gasp and tried to retreat from these formidable men, but her captor had her in a sure hold and compelled her into the open. The salty breeze caught her long hair, sweeping it around her shoulders, as she stepped onto the wooden boards. This movement caught the attention of several of the buccaneers, who immediately looked round. The second that they spotted the new arrival, they drew near, shouting out approvingly.

"_Oho, Paul!_ You've found yourself a pretty wench!"

"Are you going to share her?"

"She's more to look at than his last woman."

This ribaldry was met with loud laughter, but Lady Renesmee flushed with humiliation at their remarks, biting her lip and lowering her eyes as she was confronted by a growing crowd of men. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes as she listened to their coarse comments. This only seemed to increase their taunting.

"She doesn't look as if she's enjoying your company, Paul. I'd wager I could cheer her up."

Her captor ignored their jibes; his face remained a mask of grim determination as he ruthlessly pressed her through the crew, towards his captain. Renesmee had no idea where she was being taken, until she caught sight of a huge man, standing above her on the quarterdeck, speaking to one of his men.

His back was to her, but she could see that beneath his white shirt he was very powerfully built, with broad shoulders and a muscular frame. He had the same tanned skin as his countrymen, and his shoulder length black hair was tied in a ponytail. He was easily bigger and taller than every other man on board, and she was being led right towards him!

As she beheld this enormous man, Renesmee was gripped by panic. She did not want to go one step closer to him. She fought frantically to escape from the pirate who held her.

"_No!_" She cried, fighting against his merciless hold. "_No… no… let go of me… no!_"

Her terrified sobs were greeted by jeers and shouts from the men, and these were the sounds which caught the attention of their captain.

He turned to discover the source of the uproar, and as he glanced down to the lower deck, his eyes were met by a vision of surpassing loveliness. For a second, he was so surprised that he almost doubted his eyes. But, in an instant, he realised that this was no dream, but a real girl; a girl who was, at that very moment, being manhandled by one of his crew, while the rest looked on and laughed.

The captain saw her trying to pull away from Paul, using every ounce of her strength to resist him. As his crewman dragged her forward, the captain was filled with sudden and overwhelming anger. In a single, swift movement, he vaulted over the quarterdeck balustrade, onto the lower deck, where Renesmee was struggling with her captor.

Before any of the crew had realised what was happening, the captain of the _Rabbit_ had seized Paul by the scruff of the neck and wrenched him away from the girl with a rough yank.

"You filthy cur!" he swore, throwing his surprised victim aside and landing a hard kick on his retreating form. "Get away from her, you damn _dog!_"

It was unfortunate that by this time Lady Renesmee was completely overcome with fear and confusion. She did not understand what was happening, she could only register the arrival of a man who was even bigger and more terrifying than the last. She shrieked in horror as he attacked her captor, and stumbled back in an attempt to escape the shocking encounter.

It was then that she saw her only chance to get away. The new monster had momentarily distracted the crew and she suddenly realised that no one was holding her. Without looking back, she made a break for the quarterdeck, running towards the steps as quickly as she could. She reached the top, just as a husky voice shouted behind her.

"Embry! _Stop her!_"

She instantly discovered that she was no less trapped than before. She was not alone on the quarterdeck. The crewman, to whom the captain had been speaking, was still there, and she could already hear the sound of pursuit behind her. At any second she would be surrounded by fierce giants.

The man on the quarterdeck took a step forward and put his hand out to her. "It's alright, don't be afraid."

But it was too late for Renesmee to believe him. She backed herself against the ship's rail, crying out in dread. "_Stay away from me…_"

He did not heed her warning and slowly moved towards her, just as several men, including his captain, reached the top of the steps. This was the final straw; all she could see were her tormentors, preparing to ensnare her. She had no idea what hideous fate they had in store, she only knew that she would do anything to escape it.

Before any of the crew could stop her, she had climbed onto the ships' rail and jumped overboard into the rough grey sea.

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><p><strong><span>Author's notes:<span>**

**I'll be completely honest. Writing this story is really, really fun and I am already a few chapters in (with plenty more planned).**

**I started work on it after I mentioned to my beta, willowbae, this idea for an AU/AH story (I usually write canon). She was really enthusiastic and straightaway said that I should start writing it for real. **

**And I did, and now we're both a bit addicted to Pirate Jake (well she hasn't used that _exact_ word, but I'm reading between the lines!). Anyway, I have no idea if anyone else (apart from us) will be into this kind of thing, but I thought that I would post it on the off chance that some other people might enjoy a Nessie/Jake, fantasy, historical swashbuckler too!**

**I wouldn't say this for my other stories (because they fit into a more usual Twilight genre), but if you like this story and want to read more, then it would be well worth reviewing and letting me know. **

**Ok, I'll admit, I love reviews, but also this story is potentially of such a minority interest, that if no one apart from willowbae and me want to read it, I won't worry about posting it and carry on writing it for our entertainment, and just email it to her :)**

**So if you _do_ want to know if Lady R ever makes it out of the sea and into the arms of a certain captain, then just press that little review button at the bottom of this page ;)**

**Thanks for reading and a special thank you to willowbae who is totally amazing and the best beta ever. **

**Have a brilliant weekend, **

**Mad :)**

**p.s. To any of my regular readers, the next chapter of 'the Tracker' will be posted on Saturday, as usual :)**


	2. Overboard

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the authors. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. This is just a tribute.

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><p><strong>After that fantastic response, how could I <em>not<em> post another chapter? :)**

**Thank you to willowbae for being an amazing beta and a great friend.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2.<strong>

**Overboard**

As Renesmee climbed over the ship's rail, the captain charged forward to stop her, but he was too late. The vision of perfection slipped away from him before he could touch her, and he reached the rail just in time to see her disappear beneath the surface of the waves.

Several other men were close behind him, including the crewman who had been standing on the quarterdeck. They shouted in dismay as the young girl vanished from sight. The man from the quarterdeck leaned over the rail. He looked absolutely appalled.

"I don't know what happened… she wouldn't listen…" he gasped. "She just _jumped_…"

The captain gave no reply; his mouth was drawn into a hard line, as his eyes scanned the rough water. His frown was so deep that his eyes were lost in shadow. Then, without a word, he threw down his sword, climbed onto the wooden rail and dived into the ocean.

He was a strong swimmer and resurfaced quickly, instantly looking around him for the fallen girl. She was nowhere to be seen. He called up to his crew, his voice giving only a hint of the extreme anxiety that he was feeling.

"Do you see her?"

"She's _there_, Captain…" One of the men pointed frantically. "Over there."

The captain quickly turned his head and spotted her some distance away, coughing and gasping as she resurfaced.

Renesmee could swim, but she had never before attempted to do so in waters such as these. The waves were much bigger than they had appeared when she was watching them from the ship's deck, and the sea was stunningly cold. The sudden shock of being immersed in the freezing water had knocked all the breath out of her, and she had swallowed a large amount of saltwater, which burned in her throat and choked her.

By the time she had fought her way to the surface, she was already in serious trouble. Her soaked dress and petticoats were weighing her down, and her tight corset was making it even more difficult to breathe. She looked around frantically, with no idea of what to do. Jumping off the ship had been an instinctive move, it had constituted the quickest way to escape her pursuers, but she had thrown herself into a perilous position.

Renesmee could not see the land over the waves, she could only guess which way she should swim, not that it really made much material difference; the sea was so cold that she could barely move, and so rough that she could only just keep her head above the surface. She knew that the likelihood of surviving such a swim was fairly non-existent, but she would not give up and struggled hard to keep her arms and legs moving.

The only thing she could see was the _Cruiser_ as it loomed above her; she glanced up at the ship and saw the Quileute men at the rail. They were shouting and pointing, but she could not hear their voices above the crashing waves. Her desperation to escape from these fierce buccaneers returned, and she turned away from them and threw all her energy into swimming in the opposite direction, without giving a second thought to what it would mean for her.

As soon as he caught sight of Renesmee, the captain started swimming towards her with powerful strokes. When he realised that she was actually swimming away from the _Cruiser_, he was astounded. It seemed that this girl would rather drown in the open sea, than risk returning to the ship. If he hadn't been putting all his attention into reaching her, he would have been cursing his crew for frightened her so badly.

She was not making it easy for him by swimming away from the ship, he could only be thankful that she was making very slow progress. As a large wave broke over her head, he felt a fresh surge of anxiety. Would he reach her in time? She survived the wave, but the captain was sure that she could not endure many more. He doubled his efforts, cutting through the freezing water with surprising speed.

Renesmee did not realise that he was following her until he was no more than a few feet away. It was only when he called out, that she glanced over her shoulder and caught sight of him. The instant she saw the pirate, she cried out in fright and attempted to evade him. But she did not get far, with a couple of swift strokes the captain caught up to her. He reached out and grabbed hold of her arm, circling her dainty wrist with his huge hand.

"_Wait!_"

Renesmee panicked and tried to break free, just as another wave threatened to engulf her. The water broke over them both, and he kept a firm hold on her arm, lifting her above the surface once the wave had passed. She arose sobbing and choking, and he drew her towards himself. As she felt herself being pulled through the water, she raised her fearful eyes to his.

He glanced down at the terrified girl and at that moment their gazes locked. The captain's eyes were very dark, almost black, and as she stared into them, Renesmee saw a look that she had never encountered before; a warmth and depth of feeling which was wholly new to her. She was unable to tear her eyes away from his, as a feeling of safety and comfort stole through her. For a second she could hardly remember where she was – or even _who_ she was.

He continued to hold her gaze as he slipped a protective arm around her. "It's alright, I've got you." He gave her a brief smile and added in a steady tone. "_Trust me_."

Renesmee nodded wordlessly, hardly understanding why she found his voice so reassuring, or why she was consenting to anything that he suggested. She did not even realise that she had stopped struggling, until she found her slender waist encircled by his steely arm. She gave a small gasp of surprise as he drew her close. But she was no longer afraid; the look in his eyes banished all her fears. She did not doubt that she was safe with him.

The captain was still treading water, keeping her well above the surface as the waves rose around them. "Hold on to me," he said calmly, and before she knew it, she had wrapped her arm securely around his neck. He gave her a gentle squeeze as she clung to him and rested her chin on his broad shoulder.

Apart from her family, Lady Renesmee had never before been in such close proximity to a man. She had danced at numerous balls and parties, but none of the men she had danced with had _ever_ held her like this. The captain pulled her so close that she could feel her temperature rise, in spite of the freezing water. His big body seemed to be radiating heat and she felt her lungs relax enough to take a proper breath.

She timidly raised her other hand to slip around his neck, passing it over his powerful chest and shoulders. The closer she got to him, the safer she felt. He held her tightly as he started to swim towards the _Cruiser_, using his free arm. They made steady progress towards the ship, under the gaze of the waiting crew. It was only then that Renesmee turned her wide eyes back to the men on deck.

The captain glanced down and saw her frightened expression. "You needn't be afraid. No one will harm you."

She said nothing, and did not try to resist as he towed her closer to the ship. As soon as they were within reach, his crew threw down a rope ladder from the lower deck and one of his men climbed down to meet them. The captain swam alongside the ship's hull and grabbed hold of the ladder, keeping it steady as he helped Renesmee gain a sure footing. The crewman caught hold of her hand, pulling her up onto the ladder in a rough-and-ready fashion.

Her strength was almost spent as she scaled the side of the ship. She was exhausted from the shock of the attack and the terrifying swim, and her saturated clothes were dragging her down, but she did not stumble, because the captain stayed close behind, guiding her feet and steadying her on her climb.

When the crewman reached the top of the ladder he climbed onto the deck, turning immediately to assist the lady over the rail. Lady Renesmee pulled herself up to the rail and shrank back as soon as she caught sight of the huge men who were awaiting her on deck.

When their captain had dived overboard, a number of his crew had crowded against the rail to watch the drama unfold. So when Renesmee appeared at the top of the ladder, they jostled forward to get a good look at her, staring and passing loud comments. Paul, her previous captor, was at the forefront of the men, wearing a forbidding expression.

Renesmee did not want to place herself at his mercy again, so she lingered fearfully at the top of the ladder, unwilling to proceed. It was then that the fierce voice of the captain rang out behind her, making her jump.

"_Stand down, you fools!_"

The men instantly fell back, and a second later, the captain climbed round behind her, catching hold of the ship's rigging and throwing his leg over the wooden rail. He kept a secure hold on her waist, to stop her from falling, as he swung his other leg over the rail and landed neatly on the deck. Before she knew it, he had lifted her over the rail.

He gently set her to stand on the lower deck. Her strength was waning and she swayed on her feet, unable to find her footing, but she had no chance to fall, because the captain supported her arm and steadied her.

He did not seem to be suffering from any ill effects from his swim, he was soaking wet, but seemed neither cold, nor tired. Renesmee, however, was not so hardy. He looked down at her with no small degree of concern. She was shivering with cold. Her dress was sopping wet and clinging to her slender form, her long hair was dripping down her back, and her mouth was turning purple against her freezing, white skin. He glanced around him and spotted the _Rabbit's_ quartermaster, Mr Embry Call.

"Mr Call, give me your coat."

Renesmee recognised the crewman who stepped towards them as the man she had seen on the quarterdeck. He wasn't as big as the captain, but just like the rest of the Quileute crew, he looked very tall and strong. His straight black hair was tied in a ponytail, and he had the same tanned complexion as his shipmates. He had pleasant features and his expression was not hostile, but she still retreated nervously, as he stepped forward and pulled off his coat.

The captain would not let her go far; he kept a firm hold on her, and spoke in a low tone as he took the thick garment from his friend and handed it to Renesmee.

"Here, put this on."

She did not argue, but obediently slid her arms through the sleeves, grateful for the fact that the coat was already warm. The captain watched as she wrapped the coat around herself. She was completely dwarfed by its size and he gave a slight smile as she tried to find her hands in the long sleeves. It was to her advantage that the coat was so much bigger than she, because it acted like the perfect blanket. The warmth it provided gave her body a chance to recover. The cold ache in her limbs started to ease, as the life slowly crept back into them.

Seeming satisfied that she was recovering; the captain turned his gaze from Renesmee and fixed his eyes on the crew of the _Cruiser_, who were still tied to the starboard rail. He looked again to his quartermaster.

"Do you have my sword?"

"Of course." Mr Call held out the sword with a smile. "You left it lying on deck."

Lady Renesmee glanced up in time to see the captain's face transformed by a sudden, wide grin. He had a very attractive smile, which seemed to light up his handsome features from the inside. His eyes held a humorous gleam, and she noticed the rows of perfect teeth, which stood out as very white against his tanned skin.

He reclaimed his weapon and looked towards the captured crew. His expression instantly became harsh, and he drew Renesmee forward. She glanced up at the captain, but he was speaking to Mr Call and did not notice her hesitancy. His eyes flickered only briefly towards Renesmee, before he handed her to his quartermaster.

"Keep hold of her and follow me. Don't hurt her – but don't let her go."

Mr Call nodded and took Lady Renesmee from his captain's hold. He tried not to grip her arm too tightly, but he could still feel her flinching at his touch.

Renesmee would have preferred to stay with the captain. Something about his presence reassured to her, and she was afraid to be taken away from him and placed into the care of another man. She could only feel thankful that when the captain crossed the deck, she was gently pressed to follow him. Her instincts told her that she would be safer if she stayed close to him. She was pleased to notice that the crew of the _Rabbit _stepped back as she passed and made no further attempts to apprehend her. As she moved through the men, she caught sight of her maid.

Miss Weber had suffered an extremely traumatic half hour and was weeping copiously. She had found herself unceremoniously marched onto the lower deck, just in time to see her beloved mistress surrounded by fearsome pirates. She had watched helplessly as those beasts leered at the darling child, and then proceeded to have a terrifying brawl practically on top of her.

The final torment was watching Miss Renesmee being chased across the ship by the monsters and throwing herself overboard. That was quite possibly the worst moment of Miss Weber's sedate life, and definitely the most shocking. She was not naturally inclined to public displays of emotion, but she could not hold back the cry of anguish that escaped her lips, or the heartbroken sobs which followed it.

When Miss Renesmee reappeared at the ship's rail, Miss Weber felt as if every prayer she had ever made had been answered. The young man, who was still holding Miss Weber by the arm, allowed her to move towards her mistress. She was worried that the girl looked so cold, but was relieved to see that she was given a dry coat to wear. By the time Lady Renesmee spotted her, Miss Weber was looking seriously overwrought.

They did not have a chance to speak, because Renesmee was led past too quickly, but Miss Weber was determined to remain as close as she could to the girl. She rapidly dried her eyes and hurried behind her mistress, before her young captor, Brady, had any chance to object.

The captain seemed oblivious of this minor drama as he strode across the lower deck, towards the crew of the _Cruiser_. He immediately found Captain Newton, bound to the rail, alongside his men.

"_You_." He drew close, holding the tip of his sword just inches from Captain Newton's throat, and spoke in a stentorian voice. "Why are you in these waters?"

Captain Newton turned slightly pale, but answered him bravely. "I was ordered to take this route."

"Who ordered you?"

At this moment Lady Renesmee arrived on the scene with her guard. She heard the threat in the captain's tone and was filled with alarm. She did not want any harm to befall Captain Newton because he had bowed to her grandfather's autocratic will. She wanted to defend him, so she stepped hastily towards the Quileute captain, but Mr Call still had her arm in a firm grip and she found herself unable to move forward.

This did not stop her from trying to speak to the pirate. She tried to keep her voice from shaking as she interrupted the captains' exchange, which was no mean feat, considering that her teeth were still chattering from the cold.

"Sir, this was not Captain Newton's doing. My grandfather ordered him to travel this way."

On hearing her nervous voice, the captain turned his head in surprise. His dark eyes met hers and his expression softened slightly.

He raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Your grandfather?"

"The Duke of Forkland," she explained hurriedly. "He wanted me to reach Sol Duc as quickly as possible. I'm going to stay with my father, who lives there."

"Who is your father?" His eyes narrowed suspiciously.

She raised her wide eyes to his. "Lord Edward de Cullen."

For a second the captain looked utterly confounded, but then he gave a short laugh. "Do you mean to tell me that one of your grandfathers is the Duke of Forkland and the other is the Prince of Sol Duc?"

She heard the uneasy murmurs of his crew and she let her eyes fall. "Yes."

He was quiet for a moment, before saying. "So you are Lady Renesmee de Cullen?"

Her startled eyes flew to his face. "How did you know?" Renesmee was surprised to discover that this buccaneer knew her name.

He gave her a slightly sardonic smile. "You cannot expect anonymity when you are the offspring of two such powerful families."

Lady Renesmee did not reply, she frowned thoughtfully and considered his words. She had spent most of her life in the Duchy of Forkland, raised in the Duke's castle, as his only grandchild. Her upbringing had been a sheltered one. She was aware that she had a certain status in Forkland, but she had given very little thought to her connection with her father's family and the Principality of Sol Duc.

But the captain's words made her understand that both her parents' families conducted their lives under the watchful gaze of their subjects and their neighbours. It seemed that neither the Swans, nor the de Cullens, had anything approaching a private life.

The captain did not ask her any further questions. Instead he turned back to Captain Newton, towering over him with a fierce expression.

"Your master took a foolish risk with such a valuable prize." His voice hardened. "We may not be at war with Forkland, but it was an arrogant move to sail so coolly through our waters. We do not appreciate foreign vessels so near our shores – especially in these uncertain times."

Behind him, his men muttered their agreement and the crew of the _Cruiser_ looked increasingly nervous.

Captain Newton answered him with an earnest expression. "Forkland has no hostilities with La Push, we meant no harm. If we have offended the Quileutes then we give our most humble apologies."

"That is all very well, but we want no repeat of this impudence. You will steer clear of our waters from now on, or pay a higher penalty. Tell the Duke that if he gives such an order again, we will take the whole ship. He should be thankful that this time he only loses his cargo."

At this point he turned to his watching crew and gave some sharp orders, sending them back to work. Within moments the men were dispersed over the _Cruiser_, plundering everything that was worth taking and carrying it across the boarding ramps to the _Rabbit_. The captain ordered that Captain Newton be cut free of his bonds.

"You will return to Forkland at once and give your master my message." A slight smile played on his lips as he added. "You can also tell him that his granddaughter will be escorted to Sol Duc by the Black Pirate."

Lady Renesmee had been standing silently beside him, but when she heard these words she gave a sudden start. "_What?_"

The captain glanced down at her unsmilingly. "I am taking you to Sol Duc."

She met his gaze with a horrified expression. Renesmee had believed his promise that she would come to no harm, but she suddenly realised that she had made a dreadful mistake in trusting this stranger. She had been a fool to return to the ship, drowning suddenly seemed like the more sensible option.

She tried to pull away from Mr Call. "_No_," she cried. "I won't go with you." But her guard had her in an iron clasp and she made no headway whatsoever.

Captain Newton took a hasty step forward, but found the point of a sword resting against his heart. This did not stop him from speaking in outrage. "Sir, do you think that we would relinquish any female to you, or your crew? You cannot have her."

"You have no choice. You have been beaten," was the grim reply. "You can't stop us from taking her. We could kill you all now, if we chose to. Just be thankful that you will escape with your lives."

"We will not let you take her," replied the older captain, valiantly. "We would rather fight to the death."

"That would be a noble, but wasted, gesture. If you attempt to follow us, we will throw the girl overboard." The younger man spoke in a cold tone. "And rest assured that no one would try to rescue her again."

The captain's threat stunned his prisoners. Lady Renesmee felt as if her legs were about to give way as her fate was spelled out. She might have fallen, had it not been for the fact that the quartermaster had her in such a tight hold. Captain Newton was absolutely appalled.

"You must be mad," he gasped in disbelief. "If you were to do such a barbaric thing, both Forkland and Sol Duc would wreak vengeance on La Push. It would mean war."

The young captain raised his eyebrows arrogantly. "It would. But we do not fear war." He then added with a mocking smile. "I do not think that you would want to take such a risk with her life, or the lives of your crew, by following us. If you do as I say, she will be taken in safety to Sol Duc, and you will leave our waters unharmed. No one will suffer any unnecessary injuries and there will be no need for war. After all, does either the Duke, or the Prince, really desire such a conflict?"

Captain Newton was confounded. He knew perfectly well that no one wanted to risk an open war with La Push, but he could not agree to leave the lady with these men. The Quileute captain seemed to sense his uncertainty and he added in a firm voice.

"The word of the Black Pirate carries much weight on the sea; you would be a fool to doubt it. I give you my oath that no harm will come to the lady, so you need not fear for her safety."

Renesmee raised her apprehensive eyes to his face and saw the grim determination in his expression. His dark eyes were unyielding as he made his vow. He seemed to think that he had said enough to convince Captain Newton, because he turned away from him and added over his shoulder, as an afterthought.

"Word will be sent to Forkland to inform the Duke of Lady Renesmee's safe arrival in Sol Duc. If it does not arrive, _then_ you may have your war."

"But…" Captain Newton tried to follow him, but was blocked by two of the Quileute crewmen.

The pirate captain ignored him and turned his attention to the cold and frightened lady by his side. He noticed that she was still shivering and turned briskly to Mr Call.

"Take her aboard the _Rabbit_, before she freezes to death. Ben can prepare a cabin." He glanced across the deck and spotted Miss Weber waiting nearby, with a fraught expression on her face. He questioned Renesmee. "Is that your maid?"

She glanced at Miss Weber, who met her gaze with an agonised look. A lump appeared in Renesmee's throat as she nodded wordlessly. Her eyes filled with tears and she dropped her gaze, the thought of leaving her maid on the _Cruiser _and travelling alone on the _Rabbit_ filled her with dread.

She tried desperately to think of a way to avoid this doom. She was reluctant to jump overboard again. Having already nearly drowned that day, she was not entirely keen to repeat the experience. And Lady Renesmee did not think that the quartermaster would let her get that far, even if she did attempt to escape him.

The captain, who was watching her face, gave a small frown, but before he could speak his crew called his attention. He turned away from the lady and hurried across the deck, leaving her in the care of Mr Call.

Lady Renesmee would have been surprised to discover that the quartermaster was almost as anxious as she. He was now faced with the task of taking her aboard the _Rabbit_, without hurting her. He had no desire to inflict harm upon the girl, and he was well aware that if she suffered any injury – even by accident – then he would face the full wrath of his captain.

He hoped very much that she would make life easy for him by allowing herself to be led quietly onto the _Rabbit_. But having witnessed her extreme behaviour on the quarterdeck, he had already gained the strong impression that she was volatile and unpredictable. He gave an inward sigh and gazed down at his charge, speaking in his most firm tone.

"It is time for us to leave."

Renesmee looked up, and the quartermaster realised at once that his sense of foreboding had been justified. Her general appearance at that moment was not imposing. She was wet and shivering, and her oversized coat made her look like a child in adults' clothes. But the look on her face was another matter. As her eyes met his, the fear left them and her expression became truculent.

"_No_."

He tried to nip her rebellion in the bud. "That was not a request."

He wondered if she could sense his weakness, because her chin jutted out and she tried to tug herself away from him. "I don't care. I won't go."

He decided not to waste time with arguments – which he would probably lose – and started walking towards the nearest boarding ramp, pulling her along with him. At that point she started to wrestle her arms away from him and scream.

"Let go of me… _you monster!_"

The situation was fast spiralling into the kind of embarrassing scene that he had been most dreading. He could already hear the discontent of the _Cruiser's_ crew. He could only be thankful that, apart from Captain Newton, they were all still tied to the ship's rail. If the lady continued shrieking this way, they would be sure to follow the _Rabbit_ and damn the consequences.

It was all very well for his captain to decide to abduct the beloved granddaughter of the Duke and the Prince, but if he did not watch out, they really _would_ go to war. The captain might not care, but King Samuel would probably take it very much amiss.

To add to Mr Call's woes, the crew of the _Rabbit_ were also watching him and he could hear their laughter. He would never be able to hold up his head again, if he was unable to control one frail female. It did not help that he felt as if her insults were actually justified. Forcibly dragging a young woman aboard the _Rabbit_ could hardly be described as chivalrous behaviour.

He tried to ignore his feelings of guilt, and reminded himself that his captain must have had a good reason for giving such an unexpected order. In the years that he had known the captain, Mr Call had frequently been surprised by his actions, but he had never seen him make a false, or foolish, move. So if his commander chose to take the girl now, then he was sure to have a plan.

With this thought in mind, Mr Call decided to ignore Lady Renesmee's cries and take drastic action. As they reached the boarding ramp, he tried to constrain her, but she managed to free her hand. With an unexpected burst of spirit, she turned on him and swiftly dealt him a hard slap across the face, making him wince.

"_Let me go!_"

He was surprised that a girl of her size could deliver such a stinging blow – particularly as she must have been weakened by her swim – and he quickly caught hold of her free hand, before she could give him another one. By this point he was feeling thoroughly exasperated, but the final disgrace was when he heard one of the crew jeering loudly.

"Maybe he needs _Paul_ to show him how it's done."

The quartermaster flushed angrily and gritted his teeth, wishing that he could make the infuriating girl obey him without having to resort to threats. It was fortunate for him that at that moment his captain happened to glance in their direction and correctly appraised the situation. The captain gave his final orders to the crew, before striding towards Mr Call and his unruly captive.

Before either of them realised what he was going to do, the captain swept Lady Renesmee's legs from under her and lifted her clean off her feet. He completely ignored her cries of protest, as he carried her across the boarding ramp to the _Rabbit_. Glancing down at the furious girl in his arms, he found his hold on her tightening, and as he caught sight of her outraged expression, he could not quite repress a smile.

"You're coming with _me_."

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><p><strong><span>Author's notes:<span>**

**First off, I have to say a really, really BIG thank you for all the reviews and additions to lists. Wow, I'm still recovering from the shock! **

**I was totally blown away by all the lovely messages, and the idea that there might be people (other than willowbae and me) who want more of Pirate Jake! **

**willowbae was also really pleased (probably because she's the one who's been egging me on).**

**Just a quick thank you to Joujou21, jazzmatazz, addcleric and Lissy, because I couldn't PM you for your really nice reviews :)**

**On the subject of new chapters, I will try to make regular updates, but they probably won't be as speedy as this one. I am always working to get chapters written or edited, and I am currently posting another story too, so my time is a bit divided. I am not the fastest writer, but I always try my best. So updates will be forthcoming :)**

**And of course, if you like this story, please, please review – if only to encourage me to work harder!**

**Thank you for reading, have a really great weekend,**

**Mad :)**


	3. Captive

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the authors. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. This is just a tribute.

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><p><strong><strong>Thanks to my wonderful beta willowbae, who has given me so much help and encouragement :)<strong>**

**After the amazingly enthusiastic feedback that I received after the last chapter, I'm actually feeling a little nervous about posting this one, but here goes...**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3.<strong>

**Captive**

Once aboard the _Rabbit_, the captain carried Lady Renesmee below deck. By the time they had reached their destination, she had hidden her face in her hands and was weeping miserably. She did not notice where she was, until he set her down. As soon as the captain released her, Renesmee dropped her hands from her eyes and glanced around in fear. His embrace had been very warm and she could feel the chill returning to her body when he stepped away.

She found herself in a smart wood-panelled room. The furnishings were simple, but surprisingly elegant, with several ornately carved chairs and a heavy wooden table. She lowered her eyes and her bottom lip trembled.

"Sir, where am I?"

He gazed down at her pale, tearstained face and spoke in firm voice. "These are my quarters. You will remain here until my steward, Ben, has prepared a cabin for you. He won't be long. Someone will fetch you once it's ready, then you'll have a chance to dry off properly. If you need anything, Ben will attend to you."

She bit her lip and nodded stiffly, she did not trust herself to speak again. Renesmee did not want to look at the captain, but she could not stop herself from glancing up at him. When his dark eyes met hers, it seemed as if he wanted to say something more, but instead, he turned abruptly to leave the room.

"I have to go, I'm needed on deck." As he reached the door, the captain glanced back at his prisoner and gave a slight frown. "You need not be afraid; no one will touch you again."

She averted her eyes and heard the sharp click of the door closing behind him. The instant she was alone, she hurried to the window. The _Rabbit _was already pulling away from the _Cruiser_. She could hear the shouts of the pirate crew, working above her on deck. She was amazed by how quickly they had plundered the _Cruiser _of its cargo and valuables, until she remembered that many of the men had been looting the ship while she was in the sea.

Lady Renesmee gazed out of the latticed window and was filled with despair as the distance between the two ships widened. She was sailing away from the _Cruiser _and leaving all her security behind her. She was now a lone woman on a ship of privateers, men who lived by the sword, attacking the ships and coastal towns of their enemies. Would they really show mercy to their hostage?

When the Quileute captain had told her that she had nothing to fear, she had wanted to trust him. While he stood before her, gazing deep into her eyes, she could almost believe that he was telling the truth. But once he was gone, and she was all alone, her fears returned with a vengeance.

She was cold and tired, and for the first time in her young life the future did not seem bright, but dark and forbidding. She did not believe that the captain had any intention of taking her to Sol Duc. At that moment, she felt that she would be lucky to survive a single night on his ship. Or would she be subjected to a fate worse than death?

Sinking down into one of the chairs, Renesmee laid her forearms on the table and buried her face in her arms. Bitter sobs wracked her body as she gave full reign to her grief. She wept for her mother and her grandfather, and for Miss Weber and her home in Forkland. She did not believe that she would see them again. She even thought of her distant father and the family who were strangers to her, and realised that they were now likely to remain so.

She was not left alone for long. Within a short time, the door was opened quietly. Lady Renesmee lifted her head as soon as she heard the handle turn. Mr Call appeared in the doorway. He looked down at the frightened girl and spoke evenly.

"I have brought someone for you."

With these words he led Miss Weber into the room. At the sight of her maid, Renesmee flew out of her chair and cast herself into the older woman's arms. Miss Weber was hardly feeling her best, but when she saw the weeping girl, she forgot her woes and instantly put all her energy into comforting her young mistress.

"There, there, Miss Renesmee." She patted her back soothingly, while Renesmee sobbed onto her shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm here to look after you. These horrid men won't come near you again."

She wasn't entirely sure how she was going to fend off a shipload of pirates, but her words seemed to calm her distraught mistress. Mr Call was still hovering in the room, looking slightly uncomfortable, and he gave a small cough. Miss Weber caught sight of him over Renesmee's shoulder and raised her eyebrows haughtily.

"Was there something you wanted, young man?"

He may have been a big, strong man of twenty six, but the tone of her voice made the quartermaster feel exactly like a small boy who had been caught misbehaving. He tried to muster some shreds of dignity and answered in a firm voice.

"I have been informed that Lady de Cullen's cabin is ready. I'm to escort her there."

Renesmee lifted her head and turned to him with an anxious face. He correctly assumed that she was picturing being thrown into a cramped cell, so he quickly tried to reassure her that her cabin was one of the best on the _Rabbit_.

"You will be sleeping in my room."

Her large brown eyes flew wide and it seemed as if she was about to start crying again. It was only after he saw her horrified expression that Mr Call realised how his words must have sounded, and he hastily attempted to explain himself.

"No… I don't mean _that_… I beg your pardon," he stammered, turning slightly red. "I… I mean… that _you _will be staying there… but I won't. I have already removed my belongings… and your maid will be staying with you."

Lady Renesmee looked extremely relieved as she rubbed the tears from her cheeks, but Miss Weber shot him a reproachful look for making such a tactless comment. He tugged at his collar and changed the subject by asking the ladies to accompany him to their new cabin.

Ben, the captain's middle-aged steward, was awaiting them in Mr Call's cabin. He was an energetic man, with a slight build and cropped black hair. He was not a Quileute. He had joined the crew of the _Rabbit _some years earlier. The captain had encountered Ben on his travels in the east, and rescued him from another ship, where he was being held captive. This act had earned the captain Ben's unwavering loyalty, and he had served as his steward ever since.

He had proved his mettle on numerous occasions, and that day he had worked a small miracle by transforming Mr Call's cabin into a room fit for a gently bred young woman and her highly respectable servant. Having been informed of the lady's ship-jumping exploits, he had even managed to bring a tub of hot water into the room, so that she could bathe and warm up.

As the two ladies entered the wooden cabin, Miss Weber surveyed her surroundings with a critical eye – no doubt checking for dirt or dust. It must have passed her strict inspection, because she gave Ben a frosty nod.

"Thank you."

Renesmee caught sight of several trunks resting against the cabin wall and gave a gasp of surprise as she exchanged glances with her maid. "Our things!"

She had assumed that the pirates would have made claim to all her belongings. Her grandfather had spared no expense when it came to his only grandchild, and subsequently her large wardrobe was very lavish, filled with silks, velvets, laces and costly furs. She knew how valuable her clothes and possessions were, and had not expected to see any of them again. She was pleased to see that Miss Weber's trunk had also been retrieved.

"The captain thought you would need some dry clothes," said Ben, in a respectful tone, with barely a hint of a smile.

Lady Renesmee turned to him with a bewildered expression and spoke with genuine gratitude. "Thank you."

"Very good, my Lady." He politely bowed himself out of the room. "I will be nearby if you need anything. You only have to ask."

Miss Weber also thanked Ben, in a stiff manner. Mr Call turned to follow him out of the room, and as he reached the door, he looked back at the ladies with an earnest expression.

"I hope you will be comfortable here. I am at your service."

Renesmee stepped forward anxiously. "Sir, will we have a guard?"

She did not want to be imprisoned, but she was also worried that she and Miss Weber would have no protection against the _Rabbit's_ rowdy crew. The quartermaster was slightly taken aback by her question; it was so unthinkable to him that anyone would flout the captain's orders, that it had hardly occurred to him that the captives might question their own safety. He answered her in surprise.

"No, you will not need one. You are safe. No one will disturb you."

Mr Call was sorry to see the remaining doubt in her eyes, but he did not know what else he could say to reassure her, so he bowed and turned to leave. Just as he stepped over the threshold, Renesmee called out to him.

"Wait." He glanced back to see her removing his coat, and timidly holding it out to him. "You will need your coat. Thank you."

He took the slightly damp garment from her hand with a diffident smile. "You're welcome, my Lady."

With these words he beat a hasty retreat from the cabin. As he closed the door, he gave a sigh of relief. The quartermaster had proved on many occasions that he was a brave man. He had frequently faced cold steel and gunfire, and survived many bloody battles. But all this seemed to count for nothing when he was faced with a weeping woman.

He was, by nature, a reserved person, and his shyness was at its most acute when dealing with beautiful young women. It was bad enough at the best of times, but when they were on the verge of tears he found them particularly unnerving. The lady in his cabin had provoked in him the most shameful desire to run away and hide.

He shook his head, feeling disgusted with himself. It had not helped matters that she seemed so small and vulnerable. The way she looked at him had made him feel like the worse kind of profligate, and he felt almost as guilty as if he had, in fact, taken advantage of her. He felt that the slap was well deserved. He could not imagine what had possessed the captain to take the girl prisoner, and felt rather irritated that he had done so.

It was with these feelings that Mr Call took himself above deck in search of his commander. He caught sight of him on the _Rabbit's_ quarterdeck. The captain was speaking to the master gunner and Mr Call gave an inward groan. Paul was the last person who he wanted to see. But he maintained a cool expression as he climbed onto the breezy quarterdeck.

As Mr Call approached, the captain glanced up from his conversation. He noticed that his quartermaster was looking a little peeved and he raised his eyebrows with a smile.

"What can I do for you, Mr Call?"

"I would like to speak with you, Captain." Mr Call met his eye with a pointed look, and the captain smiled and dismissed the master gunner.

They walked to the ship's rail, out of earshot of the helmsman, and the captain turned to Mr Call. "What is it, Embry?"

As their conversation was not being overheard by the crew, Mr Call spoke with less formality. "I think you know what I want to talk about, Jake," he said, without bothering to disguise his annoyance.

"I assume you wish to discuss Lady de Cullen." The captain gave a cryptic smile.

"You know I do."

"Well, is she safely installed in her cabin?" He asked in a relaxed manner.

"Of course she is, but…"

"I trust that you didn't have any more trouble with her? I didn't think very much of your methods on the _Cruiser_." The captain gave an infuriating smirk. "How _is_ your face, by the way?"

"I'm sorry that I couldn't manage as well as _you_, but I'm less well-versed in the correct procedure for abducting virtuous females in broad daylight," snapped his friend.

This comment caused the captain to laugh. "Come now, Embry, there's no need to sulk about it."

Mr Call pulled a disgruntled frown. "That's all very well, but _you_ weren't the one who was slapped in the face." He shook his head and confessed. "Not that I didn't deserve it. I'm not sure that I've ever felt such a scoundrel as when I tried to force her to leave her ship."

He noticed a slight crease appear on the captain's brow, and pressed his point. "I don't know what game you're playing, Jake."

The captain was silent for a moment, keeping his eyes fixed on the _Rabbit's_ prow, as she cut through the water and left the _Cruiser_ behind them. A second later he turned to the quartermaster and gave a half smile.

"This is no game. How else could I get to know her?"

"_What?_" Exclaimed Mr Call, as he eyes widened with a look of incredulous shock. "Jake, have you lost your _mind?_ Do you mean to tell me that you risked open war with Forkland, _and_ Sol Duc, in order to seduce an innocent girl?"

The captain's eyes glinted dangerously. "Watch your words, Embry."

His irate friend was not deterred by his threatening tone; he had known the captain for too many years. "No. I will not stand by and let you do this, Jake. She has done nothing to warrant such treatment. Although it went against my better judgement to take her, I believed that you had a proper plan. If I'd known that _this_ was your motive, I would never have helped you… you _rake_."

This outraged accusation had a surprising effect on the captain. His angry scowl disappeared and he gave a sudden laugh. Mr Call was slightly disconcerted by this unexpected response, but the captain just grinned at him.

"Embry, did you just call me a '_rake'?_"

"I never thought you were one… until now," muttered Mr Call, looking nonplussed.

"Well, that's good to know," replied the captain cheerfully. His good humour seemed to have returned as he reassured his friend. "But you can rest easy that I have no desire to ruin the girl."

"What _do_ you want with her then?" Mr Call still seemed suspicious.

The captain gazed towards the open sea and spoke, almost to himself. "I want…" He left the sentence unfinished, and after a brief pause, turned to his friend with a rueful smile. "I want to change into some dry clothes."

The quartermaster could tell that the captain was not going to reveal his thoughts and made no further attempt to press him on the subject. He just satisfied himself with the assurance that his old friend had not suddenly transformed into a hardened reprobate.

"So, we really _are_ going to take her to Sol Duc?"

"Of course."

"And Lord Caius's fleet?"

"I think we can avoid them."

Mr Call spoke with a touch of irony. "Like shadows in the night."

This remark made the captain smile. "Precisely."

Before he left the quarterdeck he took one last look at the _Cruiser_. Mr Call watched him.

"Do you think they will follow us, Jake?"

The captain shook his head. "I doubt it. We took all their weaponry and ammunition. Not that they would want to risk firing on us anyway, they would be too afraid of wounding the girl." He met his friend's eye with sardonic smile. "Besides which, my reputation precedes me. They believed my threat of throwing her overboard."

The quartermaster raised his dark eyebrows and answered caustically. "They weren't the only ones."

The captain stopped in his tracks, he seemed genuinely surprised. "You didn't honestly think that I would hurt a defenceless female, did you?"

"_I _didn't, but when you made that threat the girl almost collapsed. She had no reason to doubt you. I actually had to stop her from falling."

When he heard this statement, the captain's brows snapped together in a deep frown. He said nothing, but turned briskly and left the quarterdeck. Mr Call remained there and tried to work out what in the world had come over his friend.

In the meantime, Lady Renesmee was making herself comfortable in her cabin. Miss Weber raised a makeshift screen around the tub and Renesmee peeled off her cold, wet clothes and slipped into the hot water. She washed the salt from her hair and scrubbed her freezing skin. Within minutes, the warmth had crept back into her body, her limbs were no longer numb, and she could even feel her toes again.

By the time she climbed out of her bath, she was feeling much more like herself. She quickly dried herself and pulled on the fresh underclothes that Miss Weber had laid out on her bunk. Miss Weber helped her tie her corset and pull on her layers of petticoats. These were beautifully made and trimmed with generous amounts of real lace. As with every other garment in her wardrobe, they were very elegant and fitted perfectly.

Miss Weber wanted to dry Renesmee's hair before she put on her outer dress. So Renesmee perched herself on the edge of her bunk in her petticoats, wrapped in a warm cloak, made of rich brown velvet and lined with sable. She snuggled against the soft fur and glanced up at her maid. She suddenly noticed that Miss Weber was looking very unhappy.

"Angela, are you well?"

Miss Weber shook her head and met her mistress's concerned gaze. "I didn't want to say anything before. You were already so upset…"

"But…?" Renesmee braced herself for bad news.

Miss Weber answered guiltily. "I'm so sorry, Miss Renesmee, they discovered your jewels…"

She did not need to say anything more. Renesmee knew perfectly well that they had been stolen, and her heart sank. Her jewellery collection was not only very valuable, but also extremely beautiful.

Lady Renesmee was particularly sad to know that the pendant, which her mother had given her, only a few days before, on her eighteenth birthday, was gone. It was a stunning ornament, made from a single heart-shaped diamond. The jewel itself was worth a king's ransom, but for Renesmee the piece had an added significance. It had been a wedding gift from her father to her mother. As she thought of this, a lump appeared in her throat.

Miss Weber saw the expression on Renesmee's face and burst into tears. "This is all my fault," she sobbed. "I should have hidden them more carefully."

Renesmee instantly buried her own feelings of dismay and comforted her distraught maid. "Angela, please don't cry. It wasn't your fault, you did what you could, but there was no time to hide them."

She attempted to stay positive by reminding Miss Weber that at least they had been allowed to keep their trunks – and their lives. Miss Weber stopped crying and finished drying Renesmee's long hair. She still gave the occasional sniff, but tried her best not to upset her mistress any more than she already had.

A short while later there was a gentle knock at the cabin door. Lady Renesmee rose to her feet and wrapped her cloak tightly around herself as Miss Weber answered the door.

It was Ben, carrying a tray of food. He politely entered the room and set down the tray, before beckoning to the cabin boy – who was hovering in the narrow corridor outside – to help him remove the tub of cooling water. The bath was taken away, and the cabin returned to a state of perfect order, within moments. Before he finally bowed himself out of the room, Ben turned to Renesmee.

"The captain has requested your company at dinner tonight, my Lady, as his guest."

His tone was extremely respectful, but Lady Renesmee understood perfectly well that this was not an invitation, but an order. She resented his cool command, but was already feeling slightly ashamed of her earlier tears and was determined not to repeat the performance, so she lifted her head proudly.

"Thank you."

"I will escort you there, when it is time."

She gritted her pearly teeth and nodded stiffly. "Very well."

Behind her, Miss Weber gave a small gasp, which Renesmee pretended not to hear. Unfortunately, the second that Ben closed the door, Miss Weber exclaimed in consternation.

"You _cannot_ have agreed to dine with that brute, Miss Renesmee."

"Did you think that I had a choice?" Was the girl's somewhat curt reply.

Miss Weber gave a thoughtful frown and attempted to think of a reasonable answer. She understood that they were both at the mercy of the captain, but she was surprised that her mistress should have agreed with so little resistance. She tried to express her concern.

"No, but…"

"Then there is really nothing more to say, Angela." Renesmee sounded uncharacteristically brusque. "I have no wish to make another scene today – unless I am absolutely forced to – so please, let us speak no more of it."

Miss Weber was tempted to pursue the matter, but after taking note of Renesmee's expression, she thought better of it. She had worked for the Swan family for long enough to recognise the stubborn look which was now on the girl's face.

On reflection, Miss Weber realised that it was probably better that Miss Renesmee was not distraught at the prospect of dining with the captain, since she would be obliged to go, whether or not she actually wanted to. Renesmee had been behaving much more calmly since arriving in their cabin, and her maid realised that it would be of benefit to no one if her mistress spent the next two hours in a state of weeping hysteria.

So instead of remonstrating with Lady Renesmee, Miss Weber put her efforts into getting the girl to eat. They both went to inspect the contents of Ben's tray, and were surprised to discover that the food looked entirely edible – appetising even.

It transpired that Renesmee did not need to be persuaded to eat, for although she had not previously been thinking about food, once it was called to mind she realised that she was famished. Miss Weber was also hungry, and before they knew it, the contents of the tray had miraculously disappeared and they were both feeling a little better.

Once they had eaten, Lady Renesmee turned her attention to finding a suitable dress to wear for her dinner with the captain. She rifled through her trunks with the help of Miss Weber. That good lady made a number of sensible recommendations, all of which her mistress summarily dismissed.

At last Renesmee found what she was looking for, in the form of a very beautiful dress, with a wide skirt and full sleeves, made of golden silk. The neckline was cut low across her shoulders and chest, and the bodice fitted her slim figure perfectly, accentuating her tiny waist.

It was one of the more sophisticated gowns in Lady Renesmee's wardrobe and suited her very well. The warm, wheat-coloured silk brought out the bronze lights in her hair, and looked very becoming against the creamy whiteness of her skin. Added to which, the cut of the dress was nothing, if not flattering, to the lovely girl.

Miss Weber was not entirely convinced by the wisdom of wearing such a dazzling dress, and drew Renesmee's attention to a more demure choice. "This would look very pretty, Miss Renesmee," she said, holding up a dainty gown made of embroidered pink satin and lace.

Her mistress shook her head proudly. "No, thank you. I will wear the gold."

"Are you sure that it's not a little _too_ fine for the occasion?" Miss Weber asked cautiously.

She could already see that, for some unfathomable reason, Lady Renesmee was determined to wear the more elegant dress.

"No, it's perfect. I _want_ to wear something fine." Renesmee caught Miss Weber's eye and lifted her chin defiantly. "The captain has promised me that I am safe aboard his ship. I am not going to behave like a prisoner. I have been invited to dine with him, as his _guest_, and I am not afraid to dress the part."

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><p><strong><span>Author's notes:<span>**

**I just have to say how overwhelmed I've been by all the unbelievably generous comments about this story, and all the list additions! ****WOW! **

**Thank you so much. **

**A special thank you to Joujou21, Daydreaming Viking Girl, addcleric and jazzmatazz who've given amazing feedback, I would PM you if I could :)**

**Next chapter: Lady R goes to dinner with Pirate Jake... ;)**

**There is a fair amount of editing to be done on the next installment, but I will try my best to work, work, work... Please keep reviewing (to encourage me to keep my nose to the grindstone!)**

**Have a wonderful weekend,**

**Mad :)**


	4. Moonlight

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the authors. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. This is just a tribute.

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><p><strong>Thank you to my beta willowbae, the most loyal Pirate Jake fan of all :)<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 4.<strong>

**Moonlight**

When a quiet knock came at the cabin door that evening, Lady Renesmee was ready and waiting. She was immaculately dressed in the golden gown, and was also wearing her sable lined cloak, to protect herself from the cold night air. On her feet was a pair of dainty satin shoes, embroidered with tiny seed pearls.

Miss Weber had dressed Renesmee's hair beautifully, twisting her ruddy locks into thick coils, which she then pinned to her crown, whilst allowing a number of silky ringlets to cascade down one side of her neck onto her smooth white shoulder.

Miss Weber regretted the loss of the elegant combs, which had fallen out of Lady Renesmee's hair when she was in the sea, but she was pleased to discover that the rest of her mistress's hair ornaments were still safely in her luggage. Including a delicate golden comb, decorated with pearls. When she spotted the comb, Renesmee insisted that Miss Weber place it in her hair.

"This would look very well with the dress." She lifted the ornament and gave an emphatic nod.

Miss Weber was not convinced. "Miss Renesmee, it might be stolen." She reminded her mistress.

Lady Renesmee rolled her eyes. "If they want to, these men can take everything we have. It won't make any difference what I wear, Angela."

Miss Weber muttered something about not _trying _to make it easy for them, but Renesmee just ignored her and sat still, while Miss Weber placed the golden comb in her hair. When her maid had finished, Renesmee glanced into her hand mirror and was satisfied with the results. No one could say that she looked as if she was afraid – well not yet, anyway.

When the knock came, Miss Weber answered the door and found Ben waiting patiently in the corridor.

He bowed. "I've come to escort her Ladyship to the captain's quarters."

Miss Weber narrowed her eyes and stepped aside, as her mistress came to the door. Renesmee gazed coolly at Ben. "I would like to know if my maid will be given something to eat, since I will not be dining here."

"Of course," he replied politely. "Her dinner is being prepared at this very moment. It will be brought up as soon as it is ready, my Lady."

Lady Renesmee nodded. "Thank you." She then followed him out of the cabin, giving Miss Weber a wry smile as she passed. "Don't worry, Angela. I will scream loudly, if anything happens."

This remark was almost enough to make Miss Weber grab hold of Renesmee and refuse to let her go, but before she could do any such thing, the girl had swept out of the door.

Ben led Lady Renesmee through the _Rabbit's_ narrow, wooden passages. They encountered no one on their short walk, but they could hear the loud voices of the crew, coming from the galley and the lower gun deck. When they reached their destination, Ben opened the door and stood back, allowing Renesmee to pass through. She took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold.

The captain's quarters were very mellow and inviting. The dining room was warm, and lit by a low lamp, which cast a soft light over the scene and made the panelled walls glow. The table had been set for two and gleamed with polished silverware and crystal. Everything was ready for dinner, but the captain was nowhere to be seen.

Lady Renesmee glanced around her in surprise. "Will I be dining alone?"

This prospect made her even more nervous than the idea that she would be eating with the captain. She felt as if she had walked into an elaborate trap and could not quite manage to disguise her anxiety. Ben spoke reassuringly.

"No, my Lady. The captain has been slightly delayed; the quartermaster had some urgent business to discuss." Something in his expression caught her attention; she could have sworn that he was trying not to smile. But then he added with perfect composure. "The captain sends his apologies and promises that he will be joining you shortly. Until then, please make yourself comfortable, my Lady."

With these words, he quietly bowed himself out of the room, closing the door and leaving Renesmee alone. She stood for a moment, feeling slightly awkward, but then pulled herself together and removed her cloak, laying it on one of the chairs, before crossing over to the window. The curtains were drawn, but she pulled them aside and peered out. Pressing her hands against the glass, she gazed into the night.

The weather was milder than it had been during the afternoon, the wind had dropped and the clouds cleared enough to reveal a bright moon. Thousands of sparkles danced across the surface of the black water, reflecting its silver light. Lady Renesmee was still leaning against the glass, watching the sea, when the captain finally arrived.

He had managed to extricate himself from his conversation with his disapproving quartermaster, and quietly entered the room. He caught sight of his guest, standing with her back to him, staring out of the window, and he stopped short. She was not aware of his arrival and tilted her head to look at the moon. The captain watched her for a moment, before closing the door. Renesmee instantly turned her wide eyes towards him.

"I'm sorry, did I startle you?" He asked, gazing down at her lovely face.

She moved away from the window and spoke determinedly. "No, not at all."

Lady Renesmee was reluctant to expose any weakness in front of the captain and pointedly ignored his slightly sceptical expression. He understood how much courage was required for her to remain so composed, and had to work hard to conceal his admiration. He tried to make things slightly easier for her by stepping forward and offering her his arm.

"Won't you be seated?"

Having previously experienced rather more rough and ready treatment from him, Lady Renesmee was surprised by this sudden show of politeness, but she did not question it. Instead, she gently placed her hand on his forearm and let him lead her to the table. Even through the thick sleeve of his jacket, she could feel the hardened muscles of his arm, and just as before, she noticed the warmth that seemed to radiate from him.

The captain pulled out her chair, and once she was seated, he draped her cloak over the back of it. She thanked him with a shy smile, and as she glanced at him, she suddenly registered that he was very well dressed. His attire was far more formal than it had been when he was plundering the _Cruiser_. She was surprised to see a buccaneer wearing such immaculately tailored clothes.

He was wearing a perfectly fitted jacket, made of a heavy black silk, decorated with black braiding at the cuffs and lapels, and rows of silver buttons. He wore the jacket over a black waistcoat, and a crisp white shirt and cravat. His trousers were also black, as were his polished knee-length boots.

The sharp cut of his clothes accentuated his broad shoulders and strong physique. She noticed that he was still wearing his sword. It was lucky that he moved with a great deal of natural coordination, because it would have been easy for a man of his size to be unwittingly clumsy and hulking. His hair was tied into a neat ponytail and Lady Renesmee had to admit – but only to herself – that he was a very handsome fellow.

The captain sat down on the opposite side of the table, and caught sight of Renesmee's thoughtful expression. He raised his eyebrows and threw her a teasing smile. "Was there something you wanted to ask me, my Lady?"

She looked up in confusion and tried to think of a sensible reply. The best she could produce was. "Is that why they call you the Black Pirate?"

"Is _what_ why?" He gave her a quizzical look.

"Because you like to wear black?" She blurted out.

Even as she said the words, she realised how stupid they sounded. Her eyes fell and she blushed with mortification; the captain would think that she was a complete idiot. Fortunately for her, he understood perfectly well that it was nervousness, not stupidity, which had caused her to ask this slightly silly question. So, despite his love of the absurd, he decided to take pity on her.

He poured her a glass of wine and answered lightly. "I suppose so."

Her eyes flew to his face. She was not sure if he was joking, but he did not appear to register her misgivings and continued speaking in a casual manner.

"They also call me Black Jake, probably for the same reason. But most of the time it's just Captain, which is slightly less creative. You're welcome to call me by of any of those titles, my Lady. Or make up your own – if you prefer – I have no doubt that you could think of a _very_ imaginative name for me."

His wry smile made it extremely clear that he did expect her to invent a very complimentary one. She was spared the embarrassment of answering him, because at that precise moment Ben appeared with their dinner. He laid a number of elegant dishes on the table and served them both, before making a discrete exit. Ben's departure suddenly made Lady Renesmee feel acutely aware of the fact that she really was going to be spending the whole evening alone with the captain.

She had spent a lifetime being strictly chaperoned and would never have dreamt of dining alone with any man, let alone a pirate. It did not help that the crew of the _Cruiser _had regaled her with tales of his more audacious exploits, and a number of these sprung to mind as she watched him.

She started to feel slightly uncomfortable and took a fortifying gulp of wine. The captain noticed her nervous fidgeting and gave a thoughtful frown. A moment later he opened his jacket and reached inside. Lady Renesmee watched him apprehensively and caught sight of the silver dagger, which was strapped to his side. He pulled the dagger from its sheath and leaned across the table, placing it in front of her.

"Feel free to use this, if I do anything to offend you, my Lady."

Her eyes flew wide with surprise. The captain was actually giving her permission to _stab_ him if she wished. Her natural honestly forced her to admit.

"I don't know how to."

This remark made him smile and he reached out to her. "Here, like this." He lifted the weapon and took a light hold on her hand, closing it around the carved handle.

His hands were so large that hers were completely enclosed by them. She caught her breath at the warmth that shot though her hand under his touch, and threw him a swift glance, but he seemed to be concentrating on positioning her fingers correctly. When he was satisfied that she was holding the dagger in the proper way, he looked up and met her soft gaze.

He gently pulled his hand away. "Now all you have to do is decide where to strike."

Renesmee gave him a small smile and shook her head. "I hope that there will be no need to do so, Captain."

"I value my life, so I will _try_ not to provoke you."

She smiled a little more widely and turned her attention to the silver weapon in her hand. It was a beautiful dagger, with a sharp steel blade and polished hilt. On closer inspection, she noticed a crest embossed in silver at the top of the handle, carrying the initials 'J.B.' and above them a red shield bearing the head of a wolf.

"A wolf?"

"Wolves appear on the crests of many of our families. They are a noble symbol on La Push."

She glanced up in surprise. "Noble?"

She wondered if this was the captain's family crest. Who was he? He was certainly not an uneducated, or uncouth, person. She was suddenly curious as to his family connections. He seemed to read her mind because he gave a broad grin.

"I stole it."

"_Oh!_"

"It's what I do," he added, by way of an explanation.

At this point she remembered her jewels and stiffened resentfully. "I _know_."

The captain smiled appreciatively at her. He had been amazed by her loveliness when he first entered the cabin, but as she glared at him, with an angry flush on her cheeks and sparkle in her eyes, she took his breath away. She was truly the most beautiful girl that he had ever seen. He resisted fixating on the way the soft light made her skin glow, or the fullness of her red lips, and answered mischievously.

"There now, aren't you glad I gave you that dagger, after all?"

His mocking words gave her a sudden desire to actually use it, but instead of stabbing him, she dropped the weapon on the table and glared back defiantly.

"No."

He smiled without concern, and picked up his knife and fork, and began to eat. For a moment, she was almost tempted to refuse her food, but then she realised that it would only look childish if she was to do such a thing, so she followed the captain's example and tried to eat some dinner. It was unfortunate that despite her best efforts, she was too unsettled to do much more than pick at her food.

The captain watched her struggling to eat for a few minutes, before he spoke. "Would you like some more wine?"

She shook her head and met his dark eyes. "No, thank you."

"I have to say, that is a very beautiful dress, my Lady."

She was surprised by this unexpected compliment, but she was not sure if he was still just teasing her, and so she thanked him in an uncertain voice. He narrowed his eyes and added thoughtfully.

"Yes, it _is_ very beautiful. But it seems to be missing something…"

Lady Renesmee bristled defensively, this remark confirmed her suspicions that the captain was just laughing up his sleeve, and she did not like it. Biting her lip, she glanced away and refused to answer. But he was not to be deterred; he just continued speaking in a mildly taunting tone.

"Hmmm… what could it be?" She was shocked to discover that her fingers were itching to reach for the dagger again, but before she could yield to this very unladylike impulse, he suddenly exclaimed. "Of _course...!_" Her eyes flew to his and he gave her a wide smile, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a familiar leather pouch. "You're missing these."

Renesmee could hardly believe her eyes as he passed her the pouch, it seemed too good to be true. She took it gingerly and glanced inside. On catching sight of its contents, she gave a gasp of pleasure and relief.

"My jewellery!" She stared at him in astonishment. "I didn't think that I would see any of it again."

His expression changed, becoming unexpectedly serious, as he leaned forward and spoke in a low tone. "I have no desire to steal from you, Lady Renesmee."

Renesmee hardly knew how to reply as she met the captain's dark eyes. They held an expression that she had seen once before, when he saved her from drowning. He had looked at her with that same intensity, his gaze holding a depth of feeling which cut through all her defences and went straight to her heart. Yet again, she felt as if she was being flooded with heat and found it almost impossible to look away.

"Thank you…" she whispered, finally dropping her gaze.

She hurriedly slipped the leather pouch into the large pocket of her cloak, before turning back to the table with lowered eyes.

"_Please_… won't you eat something now?" The captain spoke quietly.

His guest was surprised to detect a note of concern in his voice; she glanced up quickly and saw his worried expression. She felt that since he had just made a major concession by returning her jewels, eating her dinner was the very least she could do. She lifted her fork and forced herself to take a bite. He watched her closely as she chewed and swallowed the food.

As she ate, the captain tried to distract her from her nerves by asking her questions about Forkland. This was a wise move and her eyes lit up as she described her homeland. She spoke of a large island exposed to a harsh climate. Forkland was known for its wild moorland and barren, rocky coasts, and it was clear from the way in which she spoke that Renesmee loved her home.

Her grandfather's castle was an aged stone fortress, built high on the cliffs, overlooking the capital city and the sea. Renesmee talked of how she had spent her whole life watching the ships coming and going from the port below. The captain asked her if this was her first sea voyage and she shook her head.

"No, I have made several trips before, but this is my first journey to Sol Duc…" her voice trailed off and she looked slightly embarrassed.

She thought that it might seem a little strange that she had never visited her father's family before, and did not know how to explain the estrangement between her parents. It was not a subject that she felt very happy to speak of; she did not like to confess how deeply the failure of their marriage pained her.

It was lucky for her that the captain was already familiar with the story of Lord Edward de Cullen's youthful marriage. He noticed how uncomfortable his guest looked when she tried to explain why she had never visited her father's home, and was surprised to discover how immediate her pain felt to him, almost as if it was his own. He instantly turned the conversation to a milder topic and told her about La Push.

Lady Renesmee was very interested to hear him speak of his country. She knew very little about the island, the Quileutes were not fond of outsiders and did not welcome travellers, which meant that none of her friends had actually been there.

He described a very different landscape from Forkland, for although La Push also had a rainy, maritime climate; much of it was overgrown with thick forests, rather than moorland. The only similarity seemed to be in the relationship that their people had with the sea. Being islands, both Forkland and La Push had very nautical histories. Sailing was the only way in which they could reach the outside world.

The captain did not tell her much about himself, keeping his observations restricted to generalities, rather than specifics. But what he did say was interesting enough to absorb his listener. Renesmee was amazed when she glanced down at her plate and saw that she had finished her dinner. The captain noticed that she had managed to eat and was very relieved.

He smiled and lifted the lid from one of the silver dishes on the table. "Would you like to try one of these?"

She glanced at the dish and he could tell, by the way that her face lit up, that she had a weakness for crystalized fruit. He pushed the sweetmeats towards her and she thanked him, and looked down at the selection, before delicately lifted a cherry from the dish. He had to repress a smile as she critically inspected the fruit before popping it into her mouth.

He assumed that she approved of its flavour, because with his encouragement, she helped herself to another. The captain watched in awe as Renesmee worked her way through the whole dish of crystalized fruit. He had not previously though that such a slender girl could eat so much, and he sincerely hoped that she was not going to make herself sick.

But she seemed to be suffering from no ill effects when she glanced at the empty dish. "Those were very nice."

"I'm glad you enjoyed them." He spoke with a straight face, but his eyes were alight with laughter as he caught sight of her guilty expression. "They came from La Push."

"Oh…"

Renesmee glanced bashfully at the captain. She was shocked by her own greed. Somehow, between his friendly conversation, and the fact that they were by far the most delicious crystalized fruit that she had ever tasted, she had got completely carried away. She could feel her cheeks burning as she blushed.

The captain noticed her flushed countenance. "It's very warm in here. Would you like some air? We could take a turn on deck."

She was pleased by his suggestion and happily agreed to it. She was feeling a little hot and thought that some fresh air would do her good. It was also reassuring to her that the captain was not determined to trap her in his cabin.

They left the table, and the captain placed her cloak around her shoulders and led her up on deck. As she stepped into the open, Renesmee was glad to feel the cooling night breeze fanning her cheeks. The wind had dropped and the sea was much calmer than it had been during the afternoon. The _Rabbit's_ deck was very peaceful, only the night watches were present. The rest of the crew were below, and she could hear snatches of song drifting up from the gun deck.

The captain glanced down at Lady Renesmee and offered her his arm. She smiled and slipped her hand through the crook of his elbow, allowing him to lead her across the lower deck and up onto the quarterdeck. Only a few lanterns hung on deck, and these were not bright enough to obscure the view of the night sky, especially on the darkened quarterdeck.

They strolled to the ship's rail, overlooking the stern, out of sight of the two night watches. It was a beautiful night, and now that she was on deck, Renesmee had the chance to appreciate the view that she had only glimpsed from the captain's window. The moon was nearly full, and so bright that it threw a path of glistening silver light from the very edge of the horizon, all the way to the ship's hull.

There were still a few clouds in the sky, which occasionally drifted across the moon, but they could not obscure the shining orb, even when they did. Lady Renesmee stood quietly beside the captain, resting her hands on the rail, watching the moon and listening to the sound of the gentle waves, lapping against the stern. She noticed that her companion was very silent and glanced up at him with curiosity.

He was not looking in her direction, his eyes were fixed on the sea and his expression was thoughtful, and surprisingly serious. Realising that her eyes were upon him, he glanced down at her. He caught sight of her wide-eyed expression and smiled. She looked away shyly and wrapped her cloak more tightly around herself.

The captain was still watching her. "Are you cold? Would you like to go back inside?"

Renesmee shook her head and gave him a soft smile. "No, this is lovely." She instantly regretted her unguarded statement and added stiffly. "I mean… that I am enjoying the fresh air… sir."

She threw the captain a sideways glance, to see how he had interpreted her words, but he did not seem to have registered them at all. He was not even looking at her, his gaze had returned to the water. She was not sure if she was pleased or disappointed by his reaction, and this realisation made her feel slightly flustered.

She took a step away from him and leaned against the wooden rail, taking a long breath of cool sea air in an attempt to clear her head. The captain felt Renesmee withdraw and looked down at her. He broke the silence and his tone was serious.

"Tomorrow we will reach Sol Duc. And you will be reunited with your family."

She turned to him, eagerly searching his face. "Do you _really_ mean to take me there?"

He nodded and answered soberly. "I swore that I would."

"I know… I just wasn't sure..." She looked embarrassed and fell silent for a moment, before peeking cautiously at him. "So you really meant what you said to Captain Newton?"

He gave a twisted smile and held her gaze. "Most of it."

Renesmee's heart sank at these words. Was he about to renege on his promise to release her? He saw her troubled expression and tried to reassure her.

"I always intended to take you to Sol Duc. But I was lying when I said that I might throw you overboard." The captain stepped towards Renesmee and surprised her by taking both of her hands in his own. He kept his eyes on her slender fingers as he added. "I truly wish that I had not made that threat. I didn't mean it. I would never offer harm to any woman… least of all _you_."

His eyes met hers and she saw the tenderness in his expression. Her heart beat wildly, as she whispered. "_Oh…_"

"I'm sorry that I frightened you. Please forgive me." He sounded very remorseful. "I should never have brought you here."

"Why did you?"

He stared longingly into her beautiful face. Her eyes were clear pools of allurement, sparkling in the silver moonlight. He had not intended to voice the feelings that were in his heart, but as he gazed at the vision before him, he was unable to stop himself.

"Because I could not bear to let you go."

Every proper feeling should have compelled Lady Renesmee to return to her cabin that very instant, but the wave of pure happiness that washed over her, made her forget all sense of propriety. Instead of leaving the captain, she took a step towards him, returning the clasp of his fingers.

They stood for a moment, with their gazes locked, before he released his hold on her and lifted his hand to her face. He gently ran his fingers across the smooth skin of her cheek to the nape of her neck, drawing her forward, as he lowered his head to kiss her.

Renesmee caught her breath as the captain leaned down, but the moment that his soft lips brushed against hers, she gave a small, happy sigh, and willingly reached up to slip her hands around his strong neck. This was all the encouragement he needed. He lifted his hand from her head and wrapped his arms around her, catching her in a tight embrace.

His bold move did not worry her, it had quite the opposite effect; she only wanted to be near to this intoxicating man. She pulled him closer, savouring his taste and the feel of his mouth on hers. He tightened his hold, and her lips parted as he deepened their kiss. She did not even occur to her to feel shy, or reluctant, as he kissed her. It felt too right – _he_ felt too right – for her to have any doubts.

She could not see, or feel, anything beyond the captain. His strong arms and broad shoulders, his appealing, musky scent, the taste of his lips, the warmth that seemed to radiate from him, sending waves of heat to the very centre of her being. Nothing in her existence had ever made her feel this way. She would have compared it to having spent a lifetime in the dark, and then suddenly stepping into the daylight and seeing blinding sunshine and dazzling colours for the very first time.

The captain turned his head and began to trail tender kisses along her jaw and down her ivory throat. She closed her eyes as he worked his way down, losing herself in the moment. But he surprised her by suddenly pulling back. Renesmee's eyes flew open and he gave a wide grin. The next thing she knew, he had lifted her clean off her feet and placed her on the ship's rail. She gave a small gasp of fear and clung to him, but he held her securely and smiled as he murmured in her ear.

"Don't be afraid."

She glanced round to read his expression, and even in the darkness, she could see the confidence in his eyes. There was no way that he was going to let her fall. Once she had fully accepted this fact, she allowed herself to relax and enjoy the improved vantage point; she was closer to his eye level, and no longer had to strain to reach him.

He also made the most of her new position, by bending down and pressing soft kisses onto her creamy shoulder as he whispered her name. The feel of his mouth on her skin was electrifying; she pulled back his collar and moved her lips to his throat, very gently nipping his velvet skin with her teeth. He gave a sharp intake of breath and instantly turned his head, crushing his lips to hers with renewed passion.

Until that night, Lady Renesmee had only been kissed once before, and it had not gone very well; the young man had taken her by surprise and she had not enjoyed the experience. She had just felt relieved to have disentangled herself from the optimistic fellow, after only the smallest of struggles.

But with the captain everything was different. The way he held her, the way he kissed her, gave her the feeling that he had been made just for her. She could not imagine being kissed by anyone else, and she seemed to know exactly what to do, as if she had been designed for him too.

Renesmee was unaware of the time passing, until she heard the bell ring for the change of watch. The captain pulled his head back, while keeping his arms locked firmly around her.

"It must be midnight."

"_Midnight!_" She exclaimed in surprise. "I had no idea that it was so late."

He smiled at this slightly naïve statement and carefully lifted her from the ship's rail. "We should go back inside. I don't want you to freeze."

He set her on her feet and kept his hands on her waist, as she fluffed out her skirts and smiled up at him. "Don't worry, Captain. I'm not cold."

"What did you just call me?" He gave a sudden frown.

She replied tentatively. "Um… Captain…?"

The captain slid one hand behind Renesmee's back and put the other under her chin, tilting her head, so that he could look her in the eye. "Wouldn't you rather call me by my name?"

"Your name…?" She felt slightly bewildered and tried to remember the various titles that she had heard that evening. "Which one?"

This made him smile and his hold on her tightened. "Jacob."

"Jacob." A look of comprehension dawned on her face. "Oh, of _course!_"

This made sense; he had told her that one of his names was Black _Jake_. The captain shook his head indulgently and kissed her again. When she was free to speak, she gave him a playful smile.

"I _would _ask you to use my name, but it's too late for that, you already do."

This was true; he had been whispering her name adoringly for the past hour. He gazed down at her and brushed a loose curl away from her cheek. "Do you mind?"

"No." She blushed. "I like it."

He looked thoughtful. "It's a very interesting name."

Renesmee gave a resigned sigh. "I _know_."

He laughed and let her go, pulling her arm through his and leading her towards the lower deck. She stepped lightly as she followed him down the stairs from the quarterdeck.

When they reached the lower deck they encountered of one of the night watches, walking the boards. They also discovered Mr Call, leaning against the ship's rail. The quartermaster appeared to be lost in thought as he stared out across the water. On hearing their approach, he glanced around. He caught sight of the couple and gave a slight frown.

Even in the dull glow of the lamplight, Renesmee could read the disapproval on his face. She was sure that he had guessed what she had just been doing, and instantly felt very ashamed. She flushed and dropped her eyes. What must he think of her?

In reality, the quartermaster's disapproval was not remotely aimed at her, but was wholly reserved for her companion. He had not been pleased by the captain's decision to abduct Lady de Cullen. But, despite his initial misgivings, he had believed Jacob's assertions that he was not trying to take advantage of the girl. He still believed him. They had grown up together, and such base conduct would be completely out of character for his old friend, but the situation was starting to make Mr Call feel very uneasy.

He had spent the afternoon mulling over the captain's inexplicable behaviour and gained no satisfaction. It was only when he learned that his friend had invited Lady Renesmee to dinner that a disturbing new suspicion crossed his mind. Had Jacob developed feelings for the girl?

As soon as he thought of it, he dismissed the idea. It was ridiculous. They had only just met, and although Lady de Cullen was a very beautiful young lady, she was not the first attractive female to have crossed the captain's path. Mr Call had spent a lifetime watching his friend being pursued by hopeful young women, and although countless lures had been thrown in his direction, he had never formed a serious attachment to any of them.

Besides which, even if Lady Renesmee could learn to forget that she had been abducted by force, and fall in love with him, there was absolutely no future for the relationship. The captain must know that the match was impossible.

In spite of this rationalisation, Mr Call could not help brooding his way through dinner. He could not ignore the nagging doubt in the back of his mind. After he had finished, he continued to ponder the problem, and eventually made his way on deck to think in peace. He was leaning against the ship's rail, doing just that, when they appeared.

He had not been expecting to see them, and was slightly taken aback. It took only one look at Lady Renesmee's guilty face to tell him _exactly _what had happened. He glanced at his friend and saw the protective way that he stepped in front of the lady. The captain met his eyes challengingly and all of Mr Call's worst fears were confirmed. Jacob had fallen in love with the most unattainable girl in the world.

He knew that this was not the moment to interfere, especially since he had no desire to embarrass the young lady any further, so he gave a small bow and wished them both goodnight. They passed by quickly and went below deck, leaving the quartermaster feeling extremely worried.

He could foresee trouble. Jacob was extremely wilful, and would be very unlikely to relinquish his claim on the girl, if he believed that she reciprocated his feelings – which, by all appearances, she did. Mr Call knew from experience that once his friend had set his heart on something, he would not change his mind, and he was certain that if Jake had fallen in love, his attachment would be permanent and unshakable.

When the time came, would he be prepared to let the girl go? Or would he be willing to throw everything onto the sacrificial pyre to keep her?

The quartermaster did not really want to consider the answers to these questions.

After leaving the deck, the captain escorted Renesmee back to her cabin. He could tell that seeing Mr Call had left her feeling self-conscious and uncomfortable, and so he kept a firm hold on her hand as he led her through the _Rabbit's_ dark corridors. She was reassured by the way that he gripped her fingers, and smiled when he glanced in her direction.

When they reached her cabin, they halted outside the door and Renesmee turned to face the captain. She spoke quietly, not wishing to be overheard.

"Thank you for a lovely evening," she said, giving him a timid smile.

He was less reticent, and answered by slipping his hands around her waist and kissing her softly. "Goodnight, my Renesmee," he whispered, making her heart skip a beat, before releasing her. "Sleep well."

"Goodnight… Jacob." She gave him one last look, before turning the door handle and going inside.

She discovered that Miss Weber was still awake and awaiting her return. It was customary for her maid to stay up until after Renesmee had changed for bed – to put away her gown and help un-pin her hair – but that evening Miss Weber had also wanted to be sure that her mistress had returned safely to their cabin, before she could even _think_ about sleeping.

On this occasion, Renesmee would have preferred to have found her maid asleep. She was feeling a little ruffled when she entered the cabin, and hardly had time to compose her features, before she was confronted by Miss Weber's penetrating gaze.

Miss Weber was incredibly glad to see Renesmee. She had spent most of the evening wondering if she should try to rescue her mistress from the captain. The only thing that had stopped her from setting forth on this mission was Ben's solemn promise that Lady de Cullen would be perfectly safe.

He had noticed Miss Weber's agitation when he brought her a tray of food, and was swift to reassure her that the captain was not a drunkard, or a libertine, and that the young lady had absolutely nothing to fear. Although she was loth to admit it, Miss Weber believed Ben to be sincere and was left feeling slightly calmer.

When Renesmee entered the cabin, Miss Weber gave a huge sigh of relief and watched her closely, checking for signs of hurt. She was pleased to observe that the girl looked completely unharmed, and this knowledge allowed her to speak in her usual wry manner.

"Did your dinner go well, Miss Renesmee?"

Lady Renesmee tried to sound unconcerned as she closed the door. "Yes, it was very pleasant, thank you, Angela."

Miss Weber looked unimpressed. "I hope that the captain remembered to treat you with civility, Miss," she said in a strict tone.

"He was very polite," the girl replied, and felt her colour heightening when she remembered exactly _how_ he had treated her.

"You were gone for a very long time…" Miss Weber narrowed her eyes.

Renesmee glanced away and pulled off her cloak, casually throwing it onto the bed. "Um… yes. We talked for a long time, the captain told me a great deal about La Push… and afterwards we took a short walk on deck."

Miss Weber was still inclined to think of her mistress as a small child, and spoke in shocked accents. "_Good heavens_, Miss Renesmee! What were you thinking? You could have caught your death of cold."

"I was perfectly warm, Angela." Renesmee answered in a dignified voice, trying to quell her servant's inquisition.

This attempt was not entirely successful. Miss Weber had known her for too long to be put off, besides which, it was difficult to muster the correct amount of authority when one was also attempting not to blush.

"Well," said Miss Weber, with a disapproving sniff. "I can't imagine what the captain was thinking, to take a delicate girl like you into all that damp, night air. If you're unwell in the morning, I shall have to have words with him!"

Lady Renesmee was absolutely horrified; she could not imagine _anything_ more mortifying than Miss Weber scolding the captain on her behalf.

"Pray Angela. You must not!" She exclaimed in distress. "I have come to no harm. I forbid you to say any such thing to him."

"Very well, Miss," replied her recalcitrant servant, _very_ grudgingly. "I will _try_ to obey your wishes… As you know, I always do."

She looked so reluctant that Lady Renesmee felt positively weak. She quickly tried to find a distraction, before her maid rebelled against her order. It was fortunate that one quickly sprung to mind. She lifted her cloak from the bed and reached into its pocket, pulling out the leather pouch with a triumphant smile.

"Look at what the captain gave me."

Miss Weber was entirely diverted and Renesmee escaped any further interrogations. She just changed and hurried to bed as quickly as possible, while her maid checked through the newly restored jewellery, to see if anything was still missing.

When Miss Weber had satisfied herself that it was all there, she completed the last of her duties, by neatly packing Lady Renesmee's golden gown and copious petticoats into her trunks, along with the jewellery and hair ornaments. She then changed, extinguished the lamp and retired to her own bunk, falling asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Lady Renesmee did not fall asleep so quickly, she had far too many things to think about. As she lay in the darkened cabin, she felt relieved that her maid was already asleep; she wanted to reflect on the day's unexpected events in peace. There was so much to absorb that her head was spinning. Within the space of twelve hours, her whole life seemed to have been turned upside-down.

If someone on the _Cruiser _had told her that she would be ending the day on a pirate ship, she would have been extremely shocked.

And she would never have believed them, if they had added that she would actually feel _pleased_ to be there.

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><p><strong>Author's notes:<strong>

**First off, I have to say a MASSIVE thank you for all the lovely comments and list additions that this story has received. They really have meant a huge amount to me (and definitely kept me working hard).**

**Also, thank you to the lovely reviewers who I couldn't PM: jazzmatazz, Joujou21, Daydreaming Viking Girl and cinni (I really hope that's everyone) I really appreciated your very nice comments.**

**And as a little thank you (and possibly an added incentive) I will send a teaser for chapter 5 to anyone who reviews this chapter. So if you want that teaser, or just want to make me happy, then press that review button at the bottom of the page, and don't forget to enable your Private Messaging ;)**

**Thanks for reading, have a great weekend,**

**Mad :)**


	5. Fencing

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the authors. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. This is just a tribute.

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><p><strong>Thank you to my amazing beta willowbae :)<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 5.<strong>

**Fencing**

The sun was shining through the window when Lady Renesmee finally awoke. Miss Weber was already up, washed, dressed, and bustling around, laying out the breakfast that Ben had delivered to their room, only minutes before.

Renesmee had slept very deeply and when she opened her eyes, she was slightly confused and could not remember where she was. She was only aware of feeling unusually relaxed and contented. Once she had taken a quick glance around the cabin, everything came back to her, including some _very_ vivid memories of the previous evening.

She thought about her time spent with the captain – or more specifically, in the arms of the captain – and, for a brief moment, she was filled with happiness. This feeling lasted for about three seconds, until the enormity of her situation came crashing down upon her. It was extremely lucky that Miss Weber was not facing Renesmee, because it would have been impossible to miss the fiery blush that flooded the girl's cheeks.

Lady Renesmee stayed completely still; she did not want to alert her maid to the fact that she was awake, until she could compose herself. This was no mean feat, since her mind was filled with extremely colourful images of her evening with the captain. As she looked back on their encounter she could hardly believe the extent of her own recklessness. However rational her actions may have appeared in the bewitching moonlight, in the morning sunshine they could only be judged as utterly insane.

She had kissed a pirate…

A very good-looking pirate.

And she had kissed him more than once.

A lot more.

Lady Renesmee rolled over and buried her crimson face in her pillow. What on earth had she been thinking? Was it possible that the crystallized fruit had been laced with rum?

At this point she remembered that the captain was still on the ship, and was instantly filled with an overwhelming need to see him. The strength of this desire shocked her and she quickly tried to quash it.

Renesmee's movements alerted her maid to the fact that she was awake and Miss Weber greeted her pleasantly.

"Good morning, Miss Renesmee. It's a beautiful, sunny day."

Realising that she could no longer feign sleep, Lady Renesmee raised her head and attempted to behave in a calm and unsuspicious manner. Her efforts were fairly successful, Miss Weber did not seem to notice that anything was amiss, and Renesmee's struggles to appear her usual self, distracted her from her own unruly feelings.

The two ladies ate breakfast, and Miss Weber repeated a number of stories that Ben had told her about the _Rabbit_ and the adventures of her crew. Miss Weber had spoken to Ben on the previous evening, when he collected her dinner tray. It seemed that he was a veritable mine of information, and Miss Weber had proved to be a willing audience to his lengthy anecdotes.

Lady Renesmee listened to the stories with curiosity, paying particular attention to the ones involving the captain. What she heard made her heart sink. Ben's tales highlighted the fact that the captain was a daring adventurer, who had travelled right across the globe. He had clearly encountered many beautiful women, and it appeared that he had trifled with a number of hearts along the way. How could such a man see her as anything more than a passing fancy?

As Miss Weber talked, Lady Renesmee sat quietly and tried to hide her feelings of humiliation. She remembered that the captain had not forced himself upon her, she had wanted him to kiss her; she had _encouraged_ him to do so. Her lower lip trembled. How could she have been such a fool?

She could not deceive herself into thinking that the captain meant nothing to her, but she could see that she was just another conquest to him. She could only be thankful that he had not actually tried to seduce her; at least she had some shreds of reputation left after her shameful conduct.

It then occurred to Lady Renesmee that she should not even have been considering if he actually had feelings for her; since there could never be a future for the relationship. But instead of cheering her, this piece of reason only served to make her feel more depressed. She bit her lip and kept her eyes lowered, as she tried desperately to think of a way to avoid being publicly disgraced by her careless actions.

After breakfast, Renesmee washed and dressed. Much to Miss Weber's approval, she chose to wear the most sober gown that she possessed; a modestly cut dress, made of midnight-blue velvet. She covered the creamy white skin of her shoulders with a delicate lace fichu, which she tucked into her collar and pinned into place with a large cameo brooch.

She then asked her maid to pin up her hair. Miss Weber set to work brushing and twisting Lady Renesmee's hair away from her face. She coiled the thick locks into a stylish knot and decorated it with a simple tortoiseshell and ivory comb. Both women were pleased with the results, and Lady Renesmee satisfied herself with the knowledge that it would be hard to question her respectability when she was dressing in such a way. She fondly imagined that she looked a little like Miss Weber.

Had she but known it, her attempts to play down her beauty would not have been called a success by anyone but herself. Her dressmakers were too expert, the severe cut of the gown actually highlighted the perfection of its wearer's form, and the dark blue velvet flattered her, contrasting beautifully with her flawless white skin. Even pinning up her hair had only managed to reveal more of her swanlike throat.

Although she did look very respectable, no one who saw her would have dreamed that this attire was supposed to look staid and matronly. They would have seen only a very lovely young girl, dressed in a remarkably elegant gown.

Once she was dressed, Lady Renesmee searched through her trunk and found her prayer book. It had been a gift from her grandfather; he had hoped to distract her from the romantic novels, which her mother frequently bestowed upon her.

The Duke heartily disapproved of those novels – he secretly blamed them for his daughter's impetuous young marriage – and had tried to stop Lady Isabella from encouraging her daughter to read them, but to no avail. They were both as stubborn as he, and tenaciously resisted his efforts to curb their reading habits. He still made the occasional half-hearted attempt to turn Lady Renesmee's thoughts away from silly romances towards more elevated subjects, and the prayer book had been one of these.

It had not been a particularly successful present; Renesmee only read it when she was absolutely required to. But that morning she surprised Miss Weber by pulling out the book and piously sitting down to read it. Her maid almost passed a pithy comment when it occurred to her that her mistress might feel truly fearful for their immediate future and be seeking solace in prayer. So she curbed her sharp tongue and tried to say something reassuring instead.

"Take heart, Miss Renesmee. They have not hurt us, and I really do believe that they intend to take us to Sol Duc." Ben had made this extremely clear on the previous evening. "Once we reach land, we will never have to see these dreadful men, or this ship, ever again."

The girl glanced up from her book. She did not look as reassured as Miss Weber had hoped she would, and when she thanked her maid for her comforting words, her expression remained extremely tense. She then turned her dark eyes back to the page and continued to read with great concentration.

After that, Miss Weber left her mistress in peace and busied herself tidying the cabin, and making sure that their trunks were neatly packed and ready for removal from the _Rabbit_. Midway through the morning, they heard a soft knock at the door.

Renesmee's head shot up from her book, and she held her breath as her maid crossed the cabin to answer the door. She did not know whether she was relieved, or disappointed, when the visitor turned out to be Ben. Miss Weber, at least, seemed to be pleased to see him and politely invited him into the room. He entered the cabin and glanced from one lady to the other, speaking in his usual respectful manner.

"The captain thought that you might like some fresh air. If either of you would like to take a walk on deck, I would be happy to show you the way." He noticed their hesitation and added mildly. "You need not be afraid; the crew will not disturb you. You will be perfectly safe."

This was not what concerned Lady Renesmee. She was no longer afraid of the crew – she understood that they would not disobey their captain's orders – but she was worried that she might encounter _him _and she did not feel entirely prepared for such a meeting. Although a part of her longed to see the captain, her rational side told her that this was a foolish wish.

He would either snub her and pretend that nothing had happened between them, or try to continue his cavalier courtship, which would only result in her further degradation. It seemed obvious that the only sensible thing she could do was to avoid him altogether.

Unfortunately, Miss Weber had not been outside since the previous day and was keen to take a walk in the fresh air and sunshine. She glanced at Lady Renesmee and noticed the girl's reluctant expression. Being a loyal servant, she turned to Ben and started to refuse him.

"Thank you very much, but I think that we would prefer to remain here…"

Renesmee interrupted her quickly, saying in her most persuasive tone. "I want to read my book, but you shouldn't spend the day cooped up inside, Angela. I really think you should go for a walk. It would please me greatly if you did."

With a little more coaxing, she managed to convince Miss Weber to don her shawl and leave the cabin with Ben. Once they had departed, Lady Renesmee breathed a sigh of relief. Keeping up a façade for Miss Weber had worn her nerves a little thin and she needed some time alone. Of course, as soon as she was by herself, her thoughts immediately turned to the captain. She threw down her prayer book in defeat and looked towards the window.

It was a lovely day, the sun was shining and the sea looked quite blue. Renesmee almost wished that she had gone up for some air, rather than stay in the stuffy cabin. She wondered if the captain would notice her absence. Would he miss her? Would he come to seek her out, if she did not appear above deck? She was ashamed to discover that she rather hoped he would.

She listened for the sound of his approach for some time. She could hear the crew working, but at no point could she discern the sound of his voice, or hear his footsteps in the corridor. After a while, she gave up listening and tried to distract herself from her disappointment by reading.

She did not return to her prayer book. Instead, she found something a little more palatable in the form of her favourite novel. But for some reason, the romantic intrigues of Miss Olivia Fitzherbert and Lord Percy Ravenscroft did not seem to hold her attention as firmly as they usually did. Instead of Lord Percy, disguised as a highwayman on a magnificent black steed, her thoughts were filled with the captain on the moonlit quarterdeck. By the time Miss Weber returned to the cabin, Lady Renesmee had hardly read more than a few pages.

Miss Weber seemed to be in good spirits after her excursion. Ben had taken her on a short tour of the ship and they had also had a very pleasant walk on deck. She had been treated with complete civility by everyone she encountered and had had a very interesting time. Miss Weber's only regret was that Lady Renesmee had not joined her for this constitutional; she was worried that her mistress was looking a little pale and was in the need of some bracing sea air.

They spent the rest of the morning in the cabin and Renesmee was surprised by how slowly the time crawled. It seemed like hours before Ben returned with their lunch. When she heard his footsteps, for one wild moment, she thought that it might be the captain, and had to work very hard to hide her disappointment when she discovered that it was only his steward.

After Renesmee and Miss Weber had eaten, they remained in their cabin. Miss Weber seemed perfectly happy to stay there, but by the time another hour had dragged by, Lady Renesmee was feeling overwhelmingly bored and frustrated. She found herself wondering why the captain had made no effort to speak to her that day, and came to the depressing conclusion that he must have only been amusing himself with her on the previous evening. Although she had already prepared herself for this possibility, it still stung to see her suspicions being confirmed by his absence.

She continued to struggle with her feelings, until her maid mentioned that they would not reach Sol Duc until after sunset. Ben had told Miss Weber that the _Rabbit _could not risk sailing too close to shore until she was hidden by the cover of darkness. Renesmee's feelings on hearing this news were conflicted. She did not know how to face the captain, but the thought of spending the rest of the day cooped up in her cabin, being ignored by him, filled her with dismay.

By this point, Renesmee was so desperate to know what he was thinking, that her curiosity overpowered all her other reservations. She realised that she would rather face an embarrassing rejection, than spend another minute agonising on the subject. With this thought in mind, she stood up briskly.

"I think I'd like to take a turn on deck."

Miss Weber stood up and reached for her own shawl. "Of course, Miss Renesmee."

Realising that her maid was preparing to accompany her, Renesmee reacted quickly. The last thing she needed was her maid's chaperonage. She would never get her answers if Miss Weber was standing guard.

"It's quite alright, Angela, I know the way," she said firmly.

"Surely you don't plan to go alone, Miss?"

"I don't think I will be in any danger, Angela. The crew have been ordered to leave both of us alone. And I thought that you might want to take a nap," she added creatively. "You look rather tired."

"I must admit that I am a little fatigued, but…"

It was too late; Lady Renesmee had already slipped out of the cabin.

Miss Weber considered following her, but in the end she decided against it. When Miss Weber had strolled on deck that morning, the crew had pointedly ignored her. It was clear that they took their captain's orders seriously, and she did not believe that her mistress would come to any harm. Miss Weber even thought that it might benefit Renesmee to take a walk by herself, she seemed to be in low spirits, and she wondered if some time alone might actually do her good.

Renesmee found her way onto the lower deck without much difficulty. Her stomach was in knots as she climbed the stairs and stepped outside. The sun was still shining and there was no chill in the air, she was glad that she had not bothered to bring her cloak. She glanced around her and caught sight of a number of crewmen, working on the lower deck.

All the men noticed her arrival, but none of them gave her more than a cursory glance when she appeared. Thanks to the night watch, rumours were already circulating the ship that the captain had claimed the girl, and no one dared risk his displeasure by staring at her too openly.

Fortunately, Renesmee was completely unaware of this fact and could only feel relieved that the huge crewmen now showed so little interest in her. She walked along the ship's rail and surreptitiously glanced around, in search of their captain. A moment later, she heard the sound of blades clashing on the quarterdeck, and turned her head to discover the source of the noise.

Her heart leapt as she caught sight of the captain. He was fencing with the quartermaster. They often duelled on the quarterdeck when the weather was good, and they had been practicing for nearly half an hour when Lady Renesmee appeared. The captain did not see her; he was facing in the opposite direction, so she had a chance to observe him without being noticed.

Her grandfather was an enthusiastic swordsman and she had spent a lifetime watching men duelling at the castle. A large number of fencing masters had visited Forkland, and her grandfather had organised many contests for the young men of the court.

Renesmee was surprisingly knowledgeable on the subject. She could recognise at once that both the captain and the quartermaster were very skilful with the blade. She watched their swift movements in awe; she understood how much strength was required for such large men to move with such incredible speed and agility.

Neither of the men spotted her until the duel ended, at which point, Mr Call glanced onto the lower deck and caught sight of the fair beauty. She had been so absorbed by their contest that she was caught off-guard when the quartermaster looked in her direction. Their eyes met and his eyebrows flew up in surprise.

Lady Renesmee had been willing to face the captain, but she had not prepared herself for the possibility of encountering the quartermaster. She gazed at him with wide eyes, and what she saw in his expression reminded her that he had been the principal witness to her shameless conduct the night before. It was too much for her. She stood, frozen for a moment, as the colour flooded her cheeks, before turning on her heel and hurrying away as quickly as possible.

Renesmee had no idea where she was going. She did not think twice about abandoning her plan, she only wanted to escape the mortification of this meeting. She could not to return to her cabin, Miss Weber would be sure to notice that something was wrong, but she could think of no alternative. Just as she reached the steps which led below deck, she noticed that the ship's prow was deserted. She breathed a sigh of relief. No one would notice her there.

She hurried towards the prow, hoping to find an unobtrusive place where she could wait, unseen, until she had pulled herself together. She stopped when she reached the rail and stood facing the sea, allowing the fresh breeze to cool her burning cheeks.

Renesmee took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. She realised that she had been a fool for wanting to see the captain, and tried to comfort herself with the fact that she had escaped before actually having to face him. This thought did little to raise Renesmee's crushed spirits, and however much she told herself that she should not care, in her heart she knew that she cared very much.

Lady Renesmee would have been surprised to discover that she was not the only person who was having a difficult day.

Mr Call had risen early that morning, feeling anxious about his friend's interest in Lady de Cullen. He was still clinging to the vain hope that he might have misread the whole situation, when he arrived on the quarterdeck and encountered the captain. Neither of them made any reference to Jacob's dinner with Lady Renesmee, or the events which followed it. But as they carried out their duties, Mr Call watched his friend closely and attempted to gauge his frame of mind.

It did not take long for him to discern that the captain was in a very good mood. Mr Call knew that Jacob had a naturally cheerful disposition, but that morning he seemed to be in particularly high spirits. It was still early and there was no sign of the ladies, but the quartermaster noticed that his friend often glanced across the deck with a hopeful expression.

After about an hour, Ben appeared on deck to inform the captain that he had taken breakfast to the ladies. Mr Call knew perfectly well that Ben would _never_ have come to deliver such a trivial piece of news, unless the captain had expressly told him to. He also noticed that Jacob pretended as if this was a perfectly normal thing for Ben to do, and observed how he casually asked his steward if the ladies seemed well.

"Yes, Captain. Miss Weber, Lady de Cullen's maid, said that she was in good health," replied Ben, with a poker face.

"And Lady de Cullen…?"

"I could not say, but I believe that she was well."

"You _believe_ that she was well…?" A note of anxiety had crept into the captain's voice.

"Her maid informed me that she was still asleep, sir."

The captain gave a quick smile of relief and Mr Call gave an inward groan; it seemed that he had not been _remotely_ mistaken on the previous evening, and that Jacob really had formed a strong attachment to the girl. The captain then dismissed Ben and continued to give his orders to the crew.

Mr Call and the captain both stayed on deck for the next hour. The quartermaster wondered if Lady de Cullen would make an appearance, but she did not, and he noticed that the captain was steadily growing more restless as the morning wore on. His cheerful mood seemed to be waning and he was starting to look decidedly discontented. Jacob was not known for his patience and Mr Call wondered how long it would be before he sought the girl out.

Around mid-morning, the captain suddenly became thoughtful, a few moments later he called for Ben. It seemed to have occurred to him that the ladies might not want to leave their cabin unaccompanied, and so he asked his steward to invite them on deck. The rest of the crew might have been fooled by the captain's cool demeanour, but Mr Call knew better. He could feel how intensely his friend wanted to see the young lady again.

Both the captain and the quartermaster were on the lower deck when Ben returned with Miss Weber. A number of crewmen were also working on deck, and they glanced up with curiosity when Ben reappeared. They were all hoping to catch a glimpse of the beauty and were disappointed to discover that she was not with her maid.

The captain kept his composure as he politely greeted Miss Weber and asked after her mistress. He received the news that Lady de Cullen had declined to leave her cabin with a lack of concern that would have deceived everyone but his friend. He then gave a formal nod to the lady and went onto the quarterdeck, where Mr Call found him a few minutes later.

The captain was standing with his massive arms folded over his chest, and his expression was extremely forbidding. Mr Call refrained from comment and requested his orders, which he then carried out as briskly as possible.

The quartermaster could tell how much Lady de Cullen's continued absence was troubling the captain, and he was torn between his sympathy for his friend and his extreme relief. As sorry as he was to know that Jacob was suffering, he realised that if the girl rejected him now, then it would only be to everyone's advantage in the long run. They could not be together and so it was much better if they parted willingly. Mr Call tried to convince himself that Jacob would get over it.

The captain spent the rest of the morning on the quarterdeck. He was not in a very forthcoming mood, and did not speak to Mr Call until the quartermaster sought him out. He wanted to discover how they were going to convey the two ladies to Sol Duc without being caught by the Prince's fleet, or any stray ships from Volterra.

He learned that the captain planned to steer several miles north of Port Angeles, and set the ladies down in one of the many fishing coves, which were dotted along the coast of Sol Duc. Ben would stay with them, for protection, and also to help them find assistance and transportation. No one would be likely to question his presence; anyone who encountered him would assume that he was Lady Renesmee's own servant, and he would be able to blend into the background far more easily than any other member of the _Rabbit's _crew. Once the ladies were safe, Ben could slip away and return to the ship unnoticed.

Mr Call could have mentioned that if this plan was to work, the ladies would have to resist raising the alarm when they reached shore. After all, it would be extremely easy for them to reveal Ben's true identity as soon as they arrived in Sol Duc. But the quartermaster did not feel that this was the moment to rile his friend, and refrained from comment.

Instead, he contented himself with the fact that the captain still intended to let Lady de Cullen go. For one awful moment, the quartermaster had feared that his friend might refuse to release her, but he reminded himself that Jacob was not a monster and would not hold a girl against her will – but then he remembered her abduction from the _Cruiser_ and corrected himself – well not for _long_, anyway.

After they had discussed the plans, the captain slipped back into his state of silent brooding and Mr Call decided that it was time to take action. He found it very disconcerting to see his friend in such an uncharacteristically morose mood, and suggested that they practice their fencing. He could think of no better way to pull Jacob out of his ill humour. His instincts were correct, within minutes the captain's competitive streak emerged and he threw himself wholeheartedly into the sport.

It was quite obvious from the way he fenced that he was venting a certain amount of frustration. Mr Call had to be vigilant with his guard when his friend was in such a dangerous mood. Still, they enjoyed themselves; the day was mild and they both felt in the need of the exercise, besides which, each of them understood the risk of becoming rusty and were keen to practice their swordsmanship.

By the time that Lady Renesmee appeared on deck, the captain seemed much more like his usual self. Neither he, nor the quartermaster, noticed her arrival until Mr Call glanced down onto the lower deck. He had not been expecting to see the young lady and was slightly taken aback to find himself staring into a pair of soft brown eyes. She was clearly embarrassed by the meeting, because before he could remember his manners and greet her, the colour flooded to her cheeks and she hurried away without a word.

The captain was watching Mr Call and quickly glanced around to discover what had caught his friend's attention. He turned just in time to see Lady Renesmee disappearing across the lower deck. He did not wait to ask questions, but instantly sheathed his sword and started down the steps after her.

The quartermaster hovered for a moment, wondering if he should do something, but then he thought better of it. He knew that Jacob would never hurt the girl, and he also realised that no one wanted him to get involved – least of all himself.

The crewmen working on deck pretended not to notice the drama that was being played out in front of them. Many of them saw the beautiful girl hastily retreating and their captain following her, but they chose to keep their eyes down as he passed. It was only when he reached the steps which led below deck that one of his men looked up. The captain could not see Renesmee and was glancing around anxiously, when the sailor caught his attention.

"Excuse me, sir." The burly man spoke with caution. "She went that way." He pointed towards the ship's prow.

His commander nodded unsmilingly. "Carry on."

"Yes, Captain."

The sailor returned to his work and the captain made his way to the prow. As he rounded the corner, he caught sight of Renesmee, standing inconspicuously against the ship's rail, with her back to him, staring out to sea. He glanced back across the lower deck and was pleased to discover that none of the crewmen were in sight. He did not know how she was feeling and he wanted to speak to her without an audience, for her sake, as much as his own.

Renesmee did not hear his approach, until he greeted her in a mild voice. "Good afternoon."

She jumped and spun around, meeting his calm gaze with a startled expression. "_Oh…_" She dropped her eyes in self-conscious confusion and replied stiffly. "Good afternoon… Captain."

His expression was serious as he gazed down at the slender girl. Her lovely eyes were lowered and he noticed that she was looking a trifle flushed. So beautiful and so vulnerable, he wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms. But her nervousness, combined with her formal manner, held him in check. However much he was drawn to the girl, he had no desire to force himself upon her.

The captain came to stand by Renesmee, keeping a distance between them. He glanced out across the waves and spoke in a light tone. "I hope that you've been having a comfortable journey, my Lady."

His calm greeting made her heart sink; he treated her as if she was nothing more than a passenger on his ship. Where was the ardour of the previous evening? It seemed to have vanished with the daylight. No wonder he had not come to find her that morning, she clearly meant nothing to him.

Renesmee could not trust herself to look at him. Just being in his company made her long to reach out to him, and she knew only too well the spell that his gaze would cast on her. When the captain looked into her eyes, she seemed to lose all sense of judgement and propriety. Something in his expression filled her with a certainty that they belonged together. But she was becoming convinced that her sentiments were based on a dangerous illusion, one which could ultimately lead to her ruin.

She stood with her eyes fixed on the waves, battling against her feelings of disappointment and humiliation, but before she could dissolve into tears, her pride came to her rescue. If the captain was going to pretend that nothing had passed between them, then he would not have the satisfaction of thinking she cared. She answered him in an aloof manner.

"Yes, the journey has been extremely comfortable, sir."

She did not elaborate.

The captain frowned. He wanted Renesmee to greet him with friendliness, rather than cool formality, and look into his eyes, rather than stare determinedly at the sea, but he still kept his voice relaxed.

"I'm pleased to hear it, especially since you will be required to remain on board for a few more hours."

His casual reference to her departure stung Renesmee more than anything else. The captain was obviously glad that she was leaving. She realised that he was probably relieved; after all, their imminent separation would save him the trouble of openly rejecting her. This – she thought bitterly – was what sailors were famous for doing. They could just vanish into the horizon before having to make good their promises.

At this point she remembered that the captain had made her no promises, and this knowledge made her feel even more foolish. He had not even _feigned_ a serious attachment. What an idiot she had been, to have given her heart to a man who had not even pretended to want it. She fought back her shame and turned to him with a proud look on her face.

"I'm sure I shall bear it."

This was not the response that the captain had been looking for. He had hoped that Renesmee might express some regret at the thought of leaving him, rather than coolly tilting her head and meeting his gaze with a complete lack of concern.

But he was just as proud as she, as well as being considerably more experienced, and immediately hid his disappointment. He reminded himself that he had never made a fool of himself over any woman, and was not about to do so now. He only wished that he did not find everything about her so bewitching. He answered Lady Renesmee as if he had not a care in the world.

"Your fortitude does you credit. If it wasn't for the need of darkness, you would already be in Sol Duc."

"What a shame," she tried to disguise her pain and replied with an edge to her voice. "Of course, you would not want to risk being caught and hanged. But I am sure that once you have left me, you will be able to slip away undetected and return to your pillaging."

Renesmee had spoken unthinkingly, she had wanted to repay the captain for his rejection, she had wanted to wound him, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them. She gave a short gasp and threw him a frightened glance. Would her insults have angered him? His expression was very grim, but he seemed in no danger of losing his temper. He raised an eyebrow and stared down at her with a look of icy distain.

"My Lady, you speak of something that you do not understand."

His air of cold contempt shamed her and she replied with childish petulance. "I don't _want _to understand it."

"Spoken like a true de Cullen," he retorted.

This reference to her father's family made her bristle and she raised her chin proudly. "What do you mean by that, sir?"

The captain glared down at her with a forbidding expression, and a note of bitterness crept into his voice. "I mean that Prince Carlisle buries himself in his library and turns a blind eye to the butchery of his neighbours. He cares nothing for the suffering that Volterra inflicts upon others, as long as _he_ can live in safety and comfort."

In truth Lady Renesmee knew very little of Sol Duc's foreign policy, and she did not feel in a strong position to argue with the captain. But his blighting words seemed like the final straw in her day of humiliations, and she glanced away before he could see the tears which sprung to her eyes. She fought to keep her voice level as she replied.

"As you seem to have such a dislike of the de Cullens, I will spare you my company."

With these words she turned to leave, but before she had gone more than a step, the captain had caught hold of her arm.

"Wait!" He pulled her round to face him. When he saw her tearful expression, he was stunned. She kept her eyes lowered as he stared at her in dismay. "You're _crying.._."

Renesmee would not meet his eye as he gently lifted his hand to her cheek and traced the line of tears with his thumb. She tried to turn away, but instead of releasing her, the captain circled her waist and drew her into his arms.

She made a half-hearted effort to resist him, but quickly abandoned the attempt and allowed herself to be wrapped in his strong embrace. Resting her palms on his chest, she gave a trembling sob and hid her face in his shirt front. The captain held her close and stroked her hair soothingly, as she rested her damp cheek against his chest.

"Sweetheart, I didn't mean to make you cry." His voice was filled with remorse. "Forgive me."

Renesmee's thoughts were thrown into chaos by the sudden feel of his arms around her, and the unexpected change in his manner. She did not know how to respond, until he slid his hand under her jaw and tilted her face up to his.

"Renesmee, _look at me_."

She could not say if it was the fact that the captain used her name, or the urgency of his tone, but she finally raised her eyes and saw that he was gazing down at her with an expression of tenderness and love. As their eyes met, he caught his breath, and a moment later she found their lips locked in a passionate kiss.

She pulled back, gasping. "No… we mustn't."

The captain instantly loosened his hold, but did not let her go. "Why not?" He challenged, searching her eyes. "Don't you care for me, Renesmee?"

This direct question flustered her. "I do…" she stammered. She was not sure if she should admit to the depth of her feelings, but when she saw the look in his eyes, she could not help herself. "I _do_ care for you, Jacob… very much… far more than I should. But I am afraid."

This was true; the captain had taken full possession of her heart from the very first glance. She knew how much power he had to make her unhappy, and the pain that it would cause her when they were separated, and it frightened her.

"You don't ever need to be afraid of me. I could never hurt you," he replied earnestly.

She met his gaze with a serious expression. "How can that be true? You've sailed around the globe; you must have known many women. You may care for me today, but I know that you have learned how to say goodbye."

"Yes," he answered fiercely. "I _do_ know how to say goodbye. But I swear that I have never cared for any woman as I care for _you_. Can't you see how much you already mean to me, Renesmee, how much I love you? And not just today, I will love you always."

This bold declaration shattered Lady Renesmee's resistance. Her heart told her that the captain was telling the truth and she moved instinctively, slipping her hand around his neck to draw him close. He responded without hesitation, recapturing her lips in a feverish kiss as she melted into his arms. He tightened his hold and all the feelings of the previous evening returned. The world suddenly seemed right again.

It was a minute or two before either of them became aware of their surroundings. The captain was the first to remember that they were standing on the _Rabbit's _deck, in broad daylight, where they could be chanced upon by a member of his crew at any moment. He was perfectly aware that rumours were already circulating the ship with regards to the young lady and himself, but he did not want to give rise to further comment by allowing her to be caught in a compromising position. He raised his head and reluctantly loosened his hold.

Renesmee opened her eyes in surprise, which made him smile. "I'm sorry."

"Oh." She looked a little dazed, before she regained her focus and returned his wide grin with a bashful smile of her own. She then remembered where she was and glanced across the deck in agitation. "_Oh…_"

Thankfully, there was no one in sight, and the captain distracted her from her embarrassment by drawing her arm through his and saying calmly. "Would you like to take a walk?"

Lady Renesmee smiled gratefully as he led her away from the prow. A thought suddenly crossed her mind, and she glanced up at his handsome profile.

"Jacob. May I ask you something?"

He threw her a cheerful glance. "Anything you like."

"Why didn't you come to see me this morning?"

He stopped short and turned to her. "Did you want me to?"

"Yes." She gazed up at him and nodded earnestly. "I think so."

"Well then, I'm sorry I didn't." The captain gave a slight frown. "I wanted to see you. Very much. But I didn't want to impose upon you, I wasn't even sure if you still felt the same way. Whatever the case, I thought that you would prefer me to behave discretely," he said, adding with a smile. "And I didn't think that your maid would appreciate me banging on your door at the crack of dawn, demanding to see you."

She had to acknowledge that his explanation was reasonable. "As long as you _wanted_ to, that's the main thing."

"Why didn't _you_ come on deck when I invited you to?"

She thought about her morning of uncertainties and gave him a shy glance. "I didn't think that you cared."

He responded by catching her in his arms and kissing her fiercely. When they finally broke apart, he replied huskily. "You were wrong."

"Oh…"

Without another word, he offered her his arm again. Renesmee threw the captain a sideways smile as she slipped her hand through the crook of his elbow, and noticed that he was looking rather pleased with himself. She gave his arm an affectionate squeeze as they happily resumed their walk.

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><p><strong>Author's notes:<strong>

**Sorry about the slow chapter updates, I do my best, but sometimes I get side-tracked :) **

**Thank you for the lovely comments and additions to lists, they are very much appreciated. And thank you for reading. **

**Happy Easter, ****Mad :)**


	6. Sharpshooter

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the authors. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. This is just a tribute.

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><p><strong>A big thank you to my lovely beta willowbae for all her help :)<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 6.<strong>

**Sharpshooter**

Lady Renesmee spent the rest of the afternoon with the captain. They started with a long tour of the _Rabbit_, which she found very interesting. Towards the end of the tour, when the captain was leading her through the lower gun deck, Renesmee complimented him on his sword fighting. He glanced down at her with raised eyebrows.

"Did you watch me fence?"

He pretended to be surprised, but this was undermined by the fact that he was trying not to smile. She knew that he was teasing her. She gave his fingers a light squeeze and replied with an innocent air.

"No, I didn't. Miss Weber saw you and told me about it. She said that you put up a reasonable show."

His smile could no longer be suppressed and his face was illuminated by a wide grin. "I must remember to thank Miss Weber the next time I see her."

"I think that's a _wonderful_ idea," said Renesmee, throwing him a mischievous glance from beneath her long lashes.

On catching sight of her expression, the captain narrowed his eyes and quickened his pace, swiftly leading her past the gunners, towards the stern. Before she knew it, he had pulled her behind a pillar, out of sight of the crew. She glanced up to discover him leaning over her with one arm resting against above her head and a roguish smile playing on his lips.

"Do you know what would be another _wonderful_ idea?"

Lady Renesmee took a small step back and found that she had backed herself into the pillar. "I can't imagine," she evaded, peeping up at the captain.

"Can you not?" He lowered his dark head to ghost his lips along her throat. One of his hands remained on the pillar, while the other worked its way around her waist. He reached her jaw and murmured. "Do you want me to show you?"

She felt a little flustered and answered truthfully. "Um… I don't know."

The captain pulled back with a sudden laugh. "That wasn't _quite_ the answer I was looking for."

Renesmee flushed and he swiftly lowered his head to kiss her. She needed no persuading and by the time he pulled away, she was feeling slightly breathless. The captain caught sight of her expression and offered her his arm, saying with a wicked smile.

"We should go outside and get some air, before you swoon."

She could think of no adequate response to this gibe and decided to ignore it. Luckily, the captain did not seem to expect a reply. He just took her dainty hand in his and led her up the steps to the lower deck. When they stepped into the bright sunshine he offered Renesmee his arm. As she took it, she returned to their earlier conversation, glancing at him with a curious expression.

"Jacob, where did you learn to fence?"

"My father taught me." He smiled and then added meditatively. "Your grandfather has a reputation as a skilled swordsman, has he not?"

"Yes." Renesmee nodded with enthusiasm. "He loves it. He is not as active as he once was, but he still takes a great interest in training up the younger men of the court. I think he would like to see you duel."

The captain understood the spirit of her statement, and this prevented him from pointing out that her grandfather would probably prefer to see him hang. Instead, he asked.

"Is it true that he also shoots?"

"Yes, he is a fine marksman." She glanced up and added modestly. "He even taught _me_ to use a pistol."

The captain's eyebrows flew up in surprise, he had not expected this. "_You_ know how to shoot?"

"Is that such a surprise?"

"Yes," he replied honestly. "You seemed so unsure when I handed you the dagger last night, I would not have expected you to know how to fire a gun."

Renesmee was slightly embarrassed to be reminded of her of her awkwardness at dinner and gave a small frown. "It seems to me that there is a world of difference between firing a hole through a wooden target and _stabbing _a man."

"That's a good point," the captain conceded with a short laugh.

As they strolled across the sunny deck, past the working crew, she tightened her hold on his arm and explained.

"My grandfather thought that it would be useful for me to know how to shoot, in case I was ever attacked while out riding." She glanced up at him and added ruefully. "Not that I think it would have made any real difference. I think if I was ever in that situation, I would be more likely to accidentally drop my pistol, than defend myself with it. I certainly can't imagine actually firing it at anyone!"

The captain's eyes gleamed with appreciation. "That would explain why you didn't try to shoot Paul when he discovered you on the _Cruiser_."

"Oh no," she replied naïvely. "I couldn't have shot him, even if I had wanted to. I left my pistol in Forkland."

"That's lucky for Paul…" he said in a dry tone, before adding wistfully. "But it's a shame."

Lady Renesmee was rather shocked by his heartless comment. "You're _sorry _that I didn't shoot one of your crew?"

He caught sight of her incredulous expression and smiled. "No, that's not _quite_ what I meant – not that shooting Paul would have been a _bad_ idea, there are a number of my men who probably would have thanked you for it – but I was actually thinking that it's a shame that you didn't bring your pistol, because I would love to see you shoot."

"Are you serious?" She asked in surprise.

"Absolutely. How else will I know if you're telling the truth?"

She rolled her eyes. "I could always fire another."

"That's true…"

The captain's thoughtful expression made her a trifle uneasy and she answered quickly. "I was only joking."

"So you _don't_ think you could fire another?"

"Of course I could, but…"

"Well then." He turned swiftly. "What are we waiting for?"

"Jacob…!"

But it was too late; he was already pulling her along the deck in a purposeful manner. Before she could say another word, he had approached one of his crew.

"Collin, I want you to find Paul and send him to me."

The tall young man nodded instantly. "Yes, Captain." He quickly disappeared below deck.

Lady Renesmee listened to this exchange with some consternation. Was the captain playing a practical joke on her? He must have known that Paul was her least favourite member of the _Rabbit's_ crew – after all they had discussed shooting him only moments earlier. She could not imagine what had possessed Jacob to send for him. She decided to make a discrete exit and gently began to ease her hand from the captain's arm.

He immediately noticed her withdrawal. "Where are you going?"

"Um…" She improvised. "I thought that you had some matter to attend to. I didn't want to be in the way."

He caught her hand in a light clasp and smiled. "Don't worry, you won't be. Anyway, this concerns you."

She pulled away from him. "No honestly… I'd really much rather go…"

Her nervousness surprised him and he stared at her with a thoughtful frown. "Are you afraid of Paul?"

"No." She coloured and disclaimed. "Of course not."

The captain was not fooled by her denial and gently recaptured her hand before she could retreat. Renesmee clung to his hand as he slipped his fingers through hers. When she glanced up she saw the warmth in his eyes.

"No one will hurt you, Renesmee." The captain gazed into her soft brown eyes and a hint of steel crept into his voice. "I would kill any man who tried."

He spoke quietly, but she noticed the change in his expression. The boyish charm, with which she had already become familiar, was replaced by a look of harsh determination. Renesmee could not doubt that the captain was telling the truth, and she shivered and instinctively drew closer to him, wrapping her hands around his muscular arm and resting her head against his shoulder.

He did not understand the reason for her sudden move, but it was only the fact that they were standing in the middle of the lower deck, where they could be observed by any number of his men, that stopped him from sweeping her into his arms and showing her that she never needed to be afraid, because she belonged to him. Displaying a superhuman level of restraint, he took a deep breath and smiled down at her, just as Paul appeared.

The master gunner caught sight of the captain and Lady de Cullen on the sunlit deck, and immediately approached them. He halted before the captain and spoke in a gruff voice.

"You wanted to see me, Captain?"

Lady Renesmee nervously eyed the huge man and edged a little nearer to the captain. She was thankful that Jacob was bigger than Paul, and apparently not in the least bit intimidated by him. The master gunner ignored her completely and kept his whole attention on his commander.

"I was wondering," asked the captain, casually. "Do we have any pistols on board that are suitable for a lady to use?"

Paul looked slightly confused and threw a suspicious glance in Renesmee's direction. But if he was hoping to be enlightened, he was looking to the wrong person. She was almost as surprised as he. The captain caught sight of their expressions and helpfully explained.

"Lady de Cullen wishes to shoot me and we need to find a weapon fit for the job." He then asked innocently. "Do you think you might have something?"

"I'll see what I can find, Captain," Paul replied in a dour voice.

"Thank you." The captain nodded affably and dismissed him.

Every member of the _Rabbit's_ crew, including the master gunner, was accustomed to the fact that their captain was unpredictable. But no one doubted him, because he had never been known to make a poor decision. The ship and its crew had successfully survived a number of very dangerous skirmishes, and more often than not, it had been because of their commander's shrewd instincts.

So if the captain had decided to make a special pet of their hostage and put a loaded gun into her hands, then the master gunner was not going to question him. Although he did not entirely approve of the idea, Paul consoled himself with the knowledge that if Lady de Cullen _did_ try to shoot anyone, she would probably miss.

It was with this thought in mind, that he went straight to the weapons store to find a suitable pistol for the young lady. Paul was known to be a hard and pugnacious man. Many of his shipmates were wary of him, but no one doubted his knowledge of firearms, or his ability to do his job. It was a matter of pride to him that every firearm on board was in good condition and well looked after, and every member of the crew knew that when Paul handed them a weapon, it would be clean and in perfect working order.

The master gunner quickly found what he was looking for, in the form of a small, but serviceable, pistol. It was taken in a raid several years earlier, but had hardly been used since then, since most of the crew preferred more powerful weapons. He also found some powder and ammunition. He shook his head at the thought of giving these things to Lady de Cullen, but then shrugged and gave the pistol one last inspection.

In the meantime, his commander was doing his best to persuade Lady Renesmee to actually fire it. As soon as Paul left the deck, she had turned to the captain in surprise.

"Jacob, are you serious? Why on earth did you ask him for a pistol?"

"I thought that you might enjoy some target practice," he replied. "And I was curious to see you shoot."

She smiled as she considered the idea, but then slowly shook her head. "I wouldn't mind, but I should probably return to my cabin. I've already been gone for too long. Miss Weber will be worrying what has become of me."

"Why don't we invite her on deck? The weather is fine, and then she won't have to worry. She could watch you practice too. Ben could go and ask her now."

This drew a reluctant laugh from Lady Renesmee. "Alright… you win. I'll shoot for you, but don't expect Miss Weber to watch. She hates guns." She gave the captain a shrewd glance and added. "But I don't want to practice alone, I'd feel too self-conscious. You must shoot with me."

He instantly agreed and called for Ben, instructing him to speak to Miss Weber and also to fetch one of his pistols from his cabin. Lady Renesmee politely asked Ben if he could also bring her walking coat and her riding gloves from her room.

"Miss Weber will be able to give them to you," she explained. "I don't think that she will want to come on deck herself."

Ben disappeared and the captain led Lady Renesmee to the quarterdeck, where they found Mr Call. Renesmee fell silent at the sight of him, but the captain seemed to feel no awkwardness, as he cheerfully explained to his slightly sceptical quartermaster what they were planning to do. By the time that Ben had reappeared with Miss Weber, and Paul had reappeared with the pistol, they had tied two makeshift wooden targets onto the rail, above the stern.

By assuming that her maid would not make an appearance, Lady Renesmee had underestimated her. However much Miss Weber disliked noisy gunfire, she was still keen to keep an eye on her lively young mistress. She had been a little worried by Renesmee's long absence, and was just about to go in search of her when Ben knocked on the cabin door. When she heard what Lady Renesmee was planning she was somewhat taken aback, and instantly resolved to discover what the girl was up to.

She arrived on deck, carrying the gloves and grey coat, and was relieved to see that nothing untoward was happening, everyone was going about their work as usual. Ben took Miss Weber onto the quarterdeck, where Lady Renesmee was waiting. Her mistress seemed to be surprised to see her, but took the coat and gloves with a smile.

"Thank you, Angela."

As she relinquished the items, Miss Weber spoke to Renesmee in an urgent under-voice. "What are you about, Miss Renesmee? Surely you don't intend to have a shooting contest with a common pirate. What would your grandfather say?"

Renesmee's expression became surprisingly belligerent. "I am not behaving improperly." She frowned. "This isn't a contest, it is merely target practice. And grandpa never has any objection to _that_."

Her maid was not sure that this was the kind of practice that the Duke would advocate, but she was reluctant to create a scene, so she nodded and remained on the quarterdeck to ensure that Renesmee behaved with the correct degree of maidenly decorum.

Lady Renesmee decided to ignore Miss Weber's obvious disapproval and pulled on her coat, buttoning it right up to her throat. This elegant garment was cut in a closefitting and military style. Combined with her neat hairstyle, it gave Renesmee a very business-like air. She pulled on her leather gloves and turned just in time to see the captain smiling at her approvingly.

"You look very smart."

She pulled a face. "I just want to stop the powder from singeing my dress."

He laughed and turned to see Paul crossing the quarterdeck, carrying a small pistol. "Good. Now we can get started."

Paul handed the weapon to the captain. "I haven't loaded it. I thought that you would prefer to do that."

Renesmee stepped towards them and glanced down at the gun. "That's quite alright; my grandfather always insisted that I load my own pistol. He said that it would stop me from blaming anyone else if it accidentally blew up."

These words did not entirely reassure the two men of her competency, but the captain still handed her the weapon without demur.

"There you are."

The captain watched Renesmee with a fond expression as she began to inspect the pistol. The master gunner frowned, Miss Weber narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, and Mr Call, who was standing nearby, gave a quiet sigh. Only Ben and the helmsman were untroubled by what they saw.

News had already spread through the ship that the captain and the beauty were having a shooting contest, and a number of the crew drifted onto the lower deck, curious to watch. The captain noticed their arrival, but did not bother to reprimand them. He was not a martinet and did not begrudge his men the entertainment.

Lady Renesmee was unaware of the growing audience; she was too busy loading her pistol. She was pleased to see that she had been given a reliable looking weapon. It was only when she was checking its sights that she heard someone placing a bet against her. She turned around in surprise and glanced towards the lower deck. At this point she realised just how many men were watching her and the implications of the comment hit home.

She frowned and lowered her pistol. "I'm sorry. I cannot…"

The captain was standing beside her and asked quietly. "What's wrong?"

"We can practice together." Renesmee met his eyes with a troubled expression. "But I cannot do so if there are wagers being laid on the result. It would not be proper for me to enter such a contest with you. I'm sorry…"

He smiled kindly. "Don't worry. It won't be a contest." And before she could say anything more, he had turned to address the crew over the balustrade. "I don't object to you watching, but if you know what's good for you, no bets will be laid."

He ignored the disgruntled murmur from the lower deck and turned back to Renesmee with complete confidence. "Shall we get started? Best of five?"

She gave him a reluctant smile. "Alright. But only if you shoot first."

He nodded and moved into position. The crew and the ladies fell silent. Mr Call gave the signal and the captain aimed and fired. He hit the target, just left of the bulls-eye. His reaction was modest, but Lady Renesmee heard the approving voices of the crew and congratulated him, before turning to her own target.

On the quartermaster's signal, she raised her pistol and fired. No one was surprised when she missed. She gave a thoughtful frown and when the captain tried to console her, she just shrugged and replied matter-of-factly.

"It throws to the right."

They both reloaded and fired again. The captain hit a perfect bulls-eye, and Lady Renesmee slightly over-compensated, firing her shot just left of the bull. The captain praised her, but she was sure that she heard the word 'lucky' coming from the lower deck. She did not trouble to look round and reloaded without concern.

The captain fired another round. He was a good shot, and it was no surprise when he hit another bulls-eye. However, it was a surprise to the crew of the _Rabbit_ when Lady Renesmee followed suit, hitting the centre of her target with ease. Once she had learned the correct bearings of her pistol, she had no more trouble with it. And when the captain produced two more perfect shots, so did she.

By the time she put down her weapon, no one watching was in any doubt of her ability. She returned her pistol to the master gunner, who took it from her unsmilingly. She did not expect him to speak, let alone to give praise, so she was a rather surprised when he said.

"You did well, my Lady."

His expression remained severe, but somewhere underneath Renesmee could sense a grudging respect and she responded accordingly.

"Thank you for the pistol. I can see that you have kept it in perfect order."

He gave a brusque nod, but had she known it, there was nothing that could have pleased the master gunner more than her compliment. He left the quarterdeck with the pistol and she turned towards the captain, holding out her hand to thank him for the practice.

As they shook hands, she smiled. "Thank you. That was very interesting."

The captain gazed down at her, but unlike the master gunner, his admiration was completely unconcealed.

"Yes, it was." He smiled affectionately and joked. "I can see that you are wasting your talents. You should change identity and make your name as a bandit."

"Change my identity?"

"Of course." His irrepressible grin appeared. "It would not be good for Lady Renesmee's reputation to commit highway robbery, but Black Nessie could do whatever she pleased."

Renesmee raised her eyebrows in astonishment. "_Nessie?_"

Mr Call was standing close enough to hear this exchange and he approached the captain before they could drift into more dangerous territory.

"Should I order the men back to work, Captain?"

This caught his commander's attention and he turned away from the girl, and answered briskly. "Yes, of course. We need to prepare for our arrival in Sol Duc."

On hearing these words, Renesmee's smile faded. The captain had already told her of his intentions. She had known perfectly well that they would be separated that night, but she had pushed the knowledge to the very back of her mind and spent a happy afternoon immersed in the present. His comment was a sharp reminder that her future beckoned and Jacob would not be a part of it.

The quartermaster turned to issue some sharp orders to the crew, who instantly dispersed, and Renesmee lowered her eyes to hide her feelings. She knew that Miss Weber was watching her and this knowledge only succeeded in oppressing her spirits further. In her present mood, she was hardly up to the task of deflecting her maid's scrutiny.

The captain turned to Renesmee, just as Miss Weber approached. He did not notice the maid, all his attention was captured by the miserable look on Renesmee's face. It was lucky for both of them that Miss Weber was neatly intercepted by Ben.

"Miss Weber." The steward wore a very serious expression. "I was wondering if I might ask your opinion on a small matter regarding Lady de Cullen's dinner arrangements."

Miss Weber was instantly distracted. "Yes, of course you may." He offered her his arm, she glanced towards Renesmee. "I should probably see to this, Miss Renesmee."

She sounded a little doubtful. She wanted to help Ben, because she felt sure that he would not have asked for her opinion if it was not important, but she was reluctant to abandon Lady Renesmee on deck. Fortunately, the issue was decided when her mistress turned and replied firmly.

"Yes, of course, Angela. Don't worry about me. I can make my own way back to our cabin."

Much to Renesmee's relief, Ben wasted no time in leading Miss Weber below deck. The captain watched Renesmee the whole time, and as soon as Miss Weber disappeared from sight, he put a hand under her elbow. She kept her eyes down and he spoke gently.

"Nessie… what's wrong?"

His use of her 'bandit' name produced a small smile and she glanced up and met his eye. She gave him a reproachful look and whispered.

"You're going to _leave_ me."

The captain's eyebrows snapped together, but Renesmee did not see the change in his expression. Her eyes had already flickered towards Mr Call and the helmsman, who were both standing nearby. The captain correctly assumed that she did not wish to say more with an audience. His brow was still lowered as he took Renesmee's gloved hand in his own and started walking towards the steps. When he passed the quartermaster, he spoke tersely.

"I'm going to escort Lady de Cullen to her cabin, I won't be long. In the meantime, set a course north of Port Angeles. You know where we're headed."

The quartermaster nodded. "Yes, Captain."

Without another word the captain left the quarterdeck with Renesmee in tow. Mr Call watched them disappear with a resigned expression. He had observed the captain's deep frown, and came to the conclusion that if Jacob was determined to play with fire, then he would have to live with the burns. So instead of worrying about his friend, the quartermaster turned his efforts to the business of sailing the _Rabbit_ to shore without being detected.

Renesmee followed the captain below deck. He walked ahead of her, keeping a tight hold on her hand, but did not look back. She could sense that he was angry, although she was not entirely sure of the reason. Her instincts advised her to keep quiet. He took the stairs down to the lower gun deck and passed silently through the working crew.

She thought that he was taking her straight to her cabin and a lump appeared in her throat. She knew that the captain was needed on the quarterdeck, and realised that he was about to end the last of their time together by leaving her with Miss Weber. She wanted him to slow down, but her attempts to drag her feet failed as he inexorably led her on.

When they finally halted, she was surprised to discover that she was not at the door of her cabin, but standing outside the captain's own quarters. She did not raise any objection when he led her across the threshold. Once inside, Renesmee strolled towards the table and glanced around just as the captain locked the door behind them with a purposeful click.

He turned, and her breath caught in her throat when she saw his fierce expression. With two strides he crossed the room and yanked her into his arms.

"Do you think I want to leave you?" he demanded through clenched teeth. "Do you think I have a choice?"

"Jacob… I…"

His eye burned as he pulled her close. "I can't keep you here, any more than you can agree to stay." A note of desperation crept into his voice. "I love you, Renesmee; more than I ever thought was possible. But do you think that I can allow you to remain on this ship, when I know that if you do, it will destroy your reputation and ruin your life?"

He gave her no chance to reply, before crushing his mouth to hers in a kiss so hard that her lips felt bruised. She could feel the urgency, the edge of despair, in his move, because his feelings mirrored her own. Their lips parted and Renesmee only felt need, as her fingers clasped the front of his shirt. The captain felt the tremor of response run through her and deepened their kiss, as she slid her hands around his neck.

Her leather gloves were a restrictive barrier between her fingers and his skin, and she quickly stripped them off and cast them away, along with her coat. The captain did not pull away as she did this, but moved his lips down her throat until they reached the edge of her fichu. He swiftly unclasped her brooch and tore away the delicate lace scarf to reveal the smooth skin of her neckline and shoulders.

Renesmee gave a small gasp of surprise as the captain suddenly lifted her onto the table, lowering her back against the polished wooden surface. But her surprise was replaced by pleasure the moment he leaned forward, pressing his body against hers. She lifted her jaw, exposing more of her creamy white throat, and revelled in the feel of his lips as they scorched a trail across her bare skin.

Her desire was fuelled by the lurking pain of their imminent separation. The captain's body radiated heat and she instinctively pulled him closer, trying to soak up every bit of comfort that he now offered. In a bold move, she snaked her hands under his shirt and ran her fingers across his powerful back. This unexpected gesture acted like a touch-paper to him. He caught his breath and with one swift movement, removed his shirt, pulling it over his head and throwing it aside.

For a moment neither of them made a move. They just stared at each other, both breathing heavily, as the captain held himself above Renesmee, resting on his palms. Her eyes darkened as they raked across his muscular form. The strong body, which she had only imagined, was now revealed. His powerful arms and torso were covered by lustrous velvety skin, the perfection of which was only marred by a number of battle scars.

Renesmee lifted her hand, gently tracing the sensual curve of his mouth with her finger, before trailing it across his jaw and neck, and down over the smooth ridges of his chest. They both watched her hand as it made its way down his torso, gently exploring the feel of his skin and the hardened muscles beneath it, until she glanced up and looked him straight in the eye.

He dipped his head and softly brushed his lips against hers as she ran her hand around his waist, digging her fingers into his back. Lowering his weight onto one elbow, he raised his free hand to cradle her jaw, before leaning in and gently capturing her full lower lip between his, in a lingering kiss. She instantly wound her free arm around his neck, drawing him close as their lips moved in perfect unity.

The captain slipped his hand from her jaw, down over her silky throat and shoulders. When his fingers reached the rich velvet of her dress, they continued over her bodice, tracing the gentle curves of her form, making her arch her back imploringly.

"_Jacob_..."

His hand swept over the soft folds of her skirt and he clasped her tighter, kissing her with a fiery urgency. Renesmee could feel her own longing, her own desperate need for him, increase as she ran her hands across his firm back and breathed in his heady scent. She did not doubt that she belonged to this man. She had been his from the very first touch.

She gave a short gasp as he gathered up the layers of her skirt and petticoats, and slipped his hand under her knee, pinning her shapely leg against his strong thigh. Her feverish lips moved to the captain's jaw as his hand travelled up, following the line of her silk stockings, and she murmured.

"Jacob… _I love you_."

On hearing these words, the captain paused. He raised his head and took a long look at the girl beneath him. Her eyes were half closed, a heated flush mounted her cheeks and a few glossy curls had escaped and fallen over her brow in damp ringlets. His perfect woman, she was everything he had ever wanted, beautiful and brave, desirable in every way. And, by some miracle, she wanted him back. Renesmee had confessed her love. She was willing to give him everything.

The trusting way in which she spoke, brought the captain to his senses. Taking a steadying breath, he shook his head and slowly released her. As he pulled away and climbed to his feet, Renesmee's eyes flew open in surprise. She sat up quickly, searching his face.

"What's wrong?" There was an unmistakeable note of anxiety in her voice.

He looked down at her with regret. "I'm sorry… I can't."

As Renesmee heard these words, the light in her eyes was completely quenched. She bit her lip and her voice trembled. "I… I'm sorry…"

Her look of hurt rejection shocked him. He could hardly believe it; the most beautiful girl in the world actually thought that he did not _want_ her. Before she could finish, the captain had caught her face between his hands. He gazed tenderly into her soft brown eyes and kissed her.

"My angel, I'm the one who should be sorry. I should never have brought you here." Sitting down beside her, he took her hand and spoke repentantly. "You're an innocent girl and you deserve better than this. You deserve better than me."

Lady Renesmee frowned and silently shook her head, but the captain continued. "I swore that I would take you to Sol Duc _unharmed_, and that included your honour…" She flushed and lowered her gaze, and he added in a low, tentative voice. "You know that I love you."

"Do you really…?" She sounded unsure and did not look up.

"Yes." He gently drew her into his arms. "More than anything, and far too much to take advantage of you now..." She nestled against him, wrapping one arm around his waist and pressing her cheek to his warm chest, and he sighed. "However much I want to."

This provoked a small chuckle from the girl of his dreams. "You're very restrained."

He pressed his lips to her hair and gave a rueful grin. "Let me take you back to your cabin, before that restraint starts to slip."

This exchange seemed to diffuse the tense atmosphere. They stood up and began to retrieve the garments that they had scattered across the floor. Renesmee found her fichu and cameo brooch lying under the table. The captain glanced at her as she inspected the torn lace.

"I'm sorry…" He looked a little shamefaced. "I ruined your scarf."

"I don't mind." She smiled and handed him the piece of lace, saying in a light tone. "There, you can keep it as a reminder of me."

"Thank you."

He took it from her with a smile, disguising the fact that his heart felt like a lump of lead in his chest. He _had _to leave her, he had no choice. So many people's safety depended upon returning Lady Renesmee to her family, including hers.

She pinned the brooch back onto her dress and pulled on her coat, buttoning it right to the top, to hide the missing fichu. Renesmee retrieved her gloves from the floor, just as the captain was turning his shirt the right way out. She stood up and stared admiringly at his handsome form.

"Jacob… you're beautiful."

He choked and threw her a startled glance, before quickly pulling on his shirt. "Um… thank you." He then added with a smile. "Though, I'm not sure that anyone else would agree with you."

If the captain was slightly embarrassed by her unexpected comment, then he was no less so than Renesmee herself. She could not imagine what had possessed her to say such a thing. Turning a fiery red, she suddenly became deeply engrossed in fastening the buttons on her gloves.

Once they had returned themselves to a state of perfect order, the captain unlocked his door and grinned.

"Shall we?"

Renesmee nodded and passed into the corridor, wearing an expression of extreme piety. The captain led her straight to her own cabin and stopped outside the door, gazing down at her with a look of regret.

"I have to go. They'll be waiting for me on deck."

"Of course," she replied stoically. "Everyone will be wondering what has happened to you." She stood on her tiptoes and pressed a small kiss to his lips, before asking quietly. "Is this goodbye, or will I see you again before I go?"

He caught her in his arms and hugged her tightly, whispering in her ear. "No, we'll see each other tonight. I'm taking you ashore. The quartermaster will stay with the ship while I'm gone."

"Good." She breathed a sigh of relief and held him close for a moment, before letting go and saying briskly. "I will see you tonight."

The captain cupped her face in his hands and gave her one final kiss. "Until then…"

He then turned and walking away with a firm step. Lady Renesmee rested her hand on the doorframe and watched him depart with a heavy heart. She gave herself an inward shake and opened the door to her cabin.

She was feeling rather preoccupied when she entered the room. She found Miss Weber sitting inside, drinking a cup of tea. Her maid caught sight of Renesmee's pensive face and put down her cup. She rose to her feet, stepping towards the girl with a serious expression. This caught Renesmee's attention.

"Angela, what's wrong?"

"I wish that I did not have to ask, but I must." Miss Weber sounded very grave. "Miss Renesmee, is there something between you and the captain?"

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><p><strong><span>Author's notes:<span>**

**Hello again. Before I say anything else, I have to apologise (a lot) for the slow update. I haven't forgotten about this story, I have just been putting a lot of my writing time into my canon story, but I am hoping that when I finish it I will have more chance to write about Pirate Jake. **

**So anyway, apart from that, thank you for all the really nice reviews and list additions, I really appreciated them, especially the messages which reminded me to keep working on this story (encouragement is good, ha ha). And a quick thanks to the reviewers I couldn't PM: Lissy, Daydreaming Viking Girl, Rach199, can't tell u, and 2cool4you.**

**Apart from that, I hope you're all well, I will try not to take so long with the next update. **

**And I've noticed that the links are finally working again on this site, so it is now possible to check out the map for the Olympic Ocean and the Black Pirate story banner on my profile page (all pirates need a good rope!)**

**Thank you for reading, Mad :)**


	7. Farewell

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the authors. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. This is just a tribute.

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><p><strong>Thank you to willowbae, for her excellent beta-ing skills and for her loyalty to Pirate Jake. :)<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 7.<strong>

**Farewell**

Lady Renesmee turned pale. She had not expected this forthright question and her mind went blank under Miss Weber's inquisitorial stare. She tried desperately to think of a convincing reply, but nothing sprung to mind. Miss Weber stood, waiting patiently for an answer, as Renesmee edged a little further into the cabin. Her eyes fell and she felt her throat tightening, but she forced herself to speak in a light tone.

"What on earth do you mean, Angela?"

Her maid was not remotely convinced by her mistress's show of innocence. She refused to be side-tracked and gravely pursued her line of questioning.

"Miss Renesmee, what is the captain to you?"

Renesmee's eyes flew up and she stuttered. "Nothing… he is _nothing _to me…"

But, even as she made this denial, a deeper loyalty – a loyalty that she had not even realised existed – won through. Her heart ached painfully as she realised exactly what Jacob had already become to her, what he would _always_ be to her. She belonged to him and she knew it. And in a matter of hours he would be gone.

The weight of this knowledge, added to Miss Weber's critical gaze, made her feel completely overwhelmed. Renesmee sank down onto her bunk with her eyes fixed on her tightly clasped hands. She tried to speak, but her voice was suspended by tears.

"I… I…"

Miss Weber was startled by Renesmee's tearful countenance. Her mistress was obviously extremely overwrought. Whatever was going on had undoubtedly upset the girl very badly. The older woman was filled with anxiety and her stern manner was replaced with deep concern.

"What has happened, Miss Renesmee? What did he do to you?"

Renesmee's lip wobbled and a moment later she turned away and buried her face in her pillow with a muffled sob. "I _love _him…"

When she heard these words Miss Weber was absolutely staggered. If the worst of her suspicions were true, she might have imagined Lady Renesmee admitting – in a very shamefaced manner – that the captain had flirted with her. After all, Renesmee was a beautiful and inexperienced girl and the captain clearly had a great deal of charm, even if he _was_ a pirate. At no point had she envisaged her mistress bursting into tears and declaring that she was _in love_ with the man!

For a moment, Miss Weber was shocked into a state of utter speechlessness. She finally managed to gasp.

_"What…?"_

She desperately hoped that she had misheard the girl, but the loud sobs issuing from the pillow made it very obvious that she had not. Miss Weber hardly knew how to respond. Although she was less than pleased by Renesmee's bombshell, she could not fight the habit of a lifetime. Before she knew it, she had stifled her disapproval and was sitting down on the bed beside her agitated mistress, comfortingly patting her hair, just as if Lady Renesmee was a small child.

"There, there… I'm sure there's nothing to cry about…"

But, even as the words left her mouth, Miss Weber was struck by an awful thought. How far had things actually gone between them? Maybe there really _was_ something to cry about. She was stunned by her own neglectful foolishness. Why hadn't she insisted on chaperoning Lady Renesmee every moment since they had boarded the _Rabbit_? Why had she allowed her to spend even a second alone with the captain?

As Miss Weber inwardly chastised herself for this terrible dereliction of duty, Lady Renesmee gradually grew calmer. Her sobbing subsided and she realised that Miss Weber was not scolding her for her shocking confession. Just this knowledge was enough to make her take a deep breath and raise her head.

The expression on her tearstained face was so miserable that Miss Weber could not find it in her heart to be too angry. But, despite her sympathy for her afflicted mistress, Miss Weber's sense of duty compelled her to ask the most obvious question. Although she could hardly bring herself to say the words, she steeled herself and held Lady Renesmee's gaze.

"Miss Renesmee…" She spoke in a low, cautious voice and her expression was very serious. "Did… did the captain seduce you?"

Renesmee's eyes flew wide. "_No…_" She shook her head vehemently. "No, he would _never_ have used me that way. He _loves_ me."

Miss Weber was extremely relieved to hear this. She may not have been entirely convinced by Lady Renesmee's assertion that the captain loved her, but she could not doubt the sincerity in her mistress's eyes when she denied a seduction. Lady Renesmee was an honest girl and her maid could see that she was telling the truth.

It seemed as if the situation was not as disastrous as Miss Weber had imagined, for although Lady Renesmee had not behaved wisely, she had not actually ruined herself. They would leave the _Rabbit _that night and her foolish infatuation could be put behind her. She still had her virtue. Her reputation had not been shattered by the selfish actions of a handsome rogue.

Miss Weber felt comforted enough to say. "Don't worry, Miss Renesmee. Once we are in the palace, and you have spent time with your family and the people there, all of this will be completely forgotten."

These words did not have the effect that she had intended. Instead of looking reassured, Lady Renesmee raised her chin and glared at her maid.

"I don't _want _to forget him."

When Miss Weber saw her mistress's stubborn expression she gave an impatient sigh. Was Lady Renesmee _determined_ to destroy her reputation? Miss Weber answered a little irritably.

"What choice do you have? You can't possibly _marry _him."

Renesmee winced and rose to her feet with a proud expression. "I am well aware of that, Angela. I don't expect anything." She turned away and rested her hand on the table, adding quietly. "I know that we are to be parted, but that won't stop me from loving him."

Something in her tone worried her Miss Weber. She wanted to believe that as soon as Renesmee was presented with some exciting new distractions, she would forget all about the captain, but her heart told her that this was just an optimistic dream. Her mistress was a very tender-hearted and loyal girl, and Miss Weber knew from experience that once a person had found a place in Lady Renesmee's affections, she would love them with an unwavering and tenacious devotion.

Just the way that she felt about her father was proof enough of that fact. In spite of Lord Edward's long absences, Renesmee would not hear a word said against him. She would even try to justify the brevity of his visits on the rare occasions when he _did_ come to see her. And that deep loyalty, which was so pronounced in Renesmee, would ensure that if she had formed an attachment to the captain, she would not easily set it aside, however undeserving he might be.

But Miss Weber knew that on this occasion Lady Renesmee had no choice in the matter. There was absolutely no way that she would ever be permitted to make such a mésalliance. She could never marry the captain, even if he actually wanted to wed her – which seemed unlikely. It was an impossible match and the sooner that her mistress could accept the fact, the better it would be for all concerned.

So Miss Weber refrained from rebuking the girl, which would only lead to a fruitless argument, and took the practical approach. She stood up and spoke with a calm detachment.

"Well, that is a great shame, Miss Renesmee. But I believe that the sooner we leave this ship and forget all that has happened here, the better."

Lady Renesmee lowered her eyes. She knew that Miss Weber was disappointed in her and felt it keenly. She wanted to defend herself, but instead she bit her tongue and said nothing. However much it hurt, she understood that her maid was actually trying to be kind.

She was in a position to make Renesmee's life extremely difficult over this little indiscretion. If she chose to, Miss Weber could tell the de Cullens and the Swans exactly how their beloved child had behaved aboard the _Rabbit_. But instead, she was actually advocating that they overlook the whole affair.

Renesmee knew that she could never be able to explain her feelings for the captain to Miss Weber, any more than her maid would want to hear of them. But the truth was that she would never forget Jacob. When he sailed away, he would take her heart with him. And how could she forget her heart? Such a thing would be impossible.

But she was an intelligent girl and realised that Jacob was right. He had no choice but to take her to Sol Duc. He had given his word and there would be untold bloodshed if he did not keep it. Renesmee did not want that blood on her hands, or on his. And so she would have to face the inevitable loss of her heart, and no amount of tears or entreaties would make any difference.

As well as being a bright girl, Lady Renesmee was also a proud one, and once she had come to this conclusion, she was reluctant to expose herself any further, and so she dried her eyes and removed her coat, silently placing it in on the bed.

If Miss Weber noticed the absence of Lady Renesmee's fichu, she certainly did not mention the fact. She just poured her mistress a cup of tea and silently handed it to her.

The two women spent the rest of the afternoon, and the whole evening, in their cabin, awaiting their arrival in Sol Duc. The atmosphere remained tense. Miss Weber did not attempt to hide the fact that she was feeling rather vexed, while Renesmee battled inwardly with the knowledge that she was about to leave Jacob – and the fact that she was also in disgrace with her maid did little to lighten her mood. Needless to say, she was extremely subdued.

Neither seemed inclined to discuss their destination. They ate their dinner in virtual silence. It was almost a welcome relief when Ben came to the cabin to deliver their food. Miss Weber was a little frosty with him, since she now considered him to be an accomplice in the attempted seduction of her mistress. But he was so scrupulously polite that she managed to unbend enough to ask him how much longer it would be before they reached Sol Duc.

"It won't be long now, ma'am." He glanced at the window. "Now that it's dark, we will be able to sail close to shore. I will come for you when it is time to depart."

"Thank you." Miss Weber nodded firmly and the steward bowed himself out of the room, leaving the ladies to their awkward silence.

On deck things were far from silent. The ship had been in a flurry of activity for hours, as the crew prepared for the _Rabbit's_ arrival in Sol Duc. Before the sun set, the captain took the time to share his plan with his men. By his standards the proposal was a fairly straightforward one. He wanted to leave Lady Renesmee and Miss Weber on the shores of a small fishing village, which lay several miles north of Port Angeles.

They planned to sail close to shore, where the _Rabbit _would remain out of sight, anchored in a cove just north of the village. Several men, including Ben, would row the ladies and their trunks to the beach, towing a small dinghy behind their boat. This dinghy would also be left on the shore in a discrete location. The larger rowing boat would return to the ship with all the men, except for Ben.

Ben would remain with the ladies, in the guise of Lady Renesmee's servant, and help them find assistance and transportation in the village. Once the ladies were safely en route to the palace, he would be free to slip away, return to the dinghy, and row himself around the headland to the _Rabbit_.

The captain intended to accompany the ladies ashore and leave the quartermaster in command of the ship in his absence. He knew that this mission held a certain risk and he was reluctant to order any of his crew to come with him, but he did need several good men and so he asked if anyone would be willing to volunteer. This request was immediately answered by a number of willing men.

The captain threw them an appraising glance and chose the three most suitable for the task, one of whom was the master gunner. Paul might have been a slightly unexpected volunteer, but the captain instantly accepted him. The master gunner had an abrasive personality, but he was always useful in a dangerous situation and the captain could only feel grateful to have him on side.

Once the plan was agreed, the crew made their preparations with stunning efficiency and everything was in place before the sun sank below the horizon. There was very little for the crew to do until they reached Sol Duc, and so the captain ordered the men to eat dinner and conserve their strength for the long night ahead.

The captain himself did not go below to eat; instead he remained on deck to oversee the approach to Sol Duc. Fortunately, Ben remembered to bring him some food and drink. As the captain's steward, he would have taken it as a personal failing if his master had gone hungry, especially as he was undertaking a potentially dangerous mission that very night.

After Ben disappeared with the empty tray, the captain strolled to the ship's prow. When he reached it, he paused at the rail to watch the sunset. He had been given no time for contemplation since leaving Renesmee at her cabin door, but looking out to sea, he finally had the chance to consider their situation.

His eyes followed the path of rich, orange sunlight, blazing its way across the ocean. It made a contrast to the cool moonlight of the previous evening. He found himself wishing that Renesmee was with him to witness it. He felt sure that she would appreciate the view, almost as much as he would appreciate the sight of her on deck beside him. He smiled at the thought.

Renesmee had only been on the _Rabbit_ for a day, but she already seemed at home. She had a great deal of courage and he was very proud of how quickly she had adapted to her new surroundings. But there was more to it than that; the sea was in her blood. He could feel it. She belonged there, and the captain could hardly imagine what the ship would be like without her.

His brow lowered into a deep frown at thought of leaving her behind. He could never have imagined that anyone would mean so much to him so quickly. He could never have imagined that anyone would mean so much to him _ever_. The strength of his own feelings shocked him, but the captain suffered no uncertainty. Lady de Cullen belonged to him.

He abruptly turned his back on the sun and crossed the prow. Facing east, he glared defiantly at the distant cliffs of Sol Duc, which shone a fiery red, reflecting the last of the fading sunlight.

The captain thrived on adventure and risk-taking, and as the cover of darkness approached he felt the familiar thrill of danger. But, for the very first time, his eagerness for adventure was tempered by the knowledge that he was putting the girl he loved into a hazardous position.

Being the commander of a ship of privateers, the captain was accustomed to responsibility. He never forgot that the lives of his men were in his hands and he did not take that burden lightly, but they were men of action. His warlike crew had no illusions about life on the _Rabbit_ and accepted its accompanying hardships and dangers.

But Lady Renesmee was not one of his crew, nor had she chosen to board his ship. He had seized her from her grandfather's flagship against her will and had vowed that no harm would come to her. He was honour bound to see her safely to Sol Duc, but in truth the captain felt a burning desire to protect his charge that had absolutely nothing to do with his honour and everything to do with his feelings for her.

And he realised that once he left Renesmee on the shores of Sol Duc, he would no longer be in a position to guard her from danger. It was this thought that made his blood run cold. His black eyes scanned the horizon and he clenched the ship's rail, turning his knuckles white.

How could he let her go?

The captain drew a long breath and reminded himself that Renesmee was from a powerful family. When she reached Prince Carlisle's palace she would be placed in the lap of luxury. She would be safe, even if a hundred miles of ocean lay between them. He told himself to hold onto this hope and crush the doubt lurking in his heart, even though it seemed almost impossible to do.

When the quartermaster came on deck a short while later, he found the captain still staring out to sea.

"Jake?" Mr Call threw him a quizzical look as he crossed the prow. "Is everything well?"

The captain pulled himself out of his reverie with a slight smile. "As far as I know…"

Mr Call did not pretend to be fooled. They had known each other for too many years. He came to a standstill beside his friend and gazed towards Sol Duc.

"What's wrong?"

The captain considered dismissing the question, but thought better of it and gave an honest answer.

"I am afraid, Embry." He did not elaborate.

His quartermaster remained quiet for a moment, before replying calmly. "Good."

The captain cocked an eyebrow and glanced at his companion. Mr Call continued with a grave countenance.

"You abducted an innocent girl, Jake. You stole Lady de Cullen from her people and forced her aboard your ship. Her care lies in your hands and I am glad to hear that you take that responsibility seriously."

The captain was not offended by these cool words. He was pleased that his friend should concern himself with Renesmee's wellbeing. He nodded slowly.

"I have never forgotten my responsibility. I know what must be done and I will do it. She will reach Sol Duc in safety…" He fell silent and a shadow crossed his features.

"But…?" Mr Call prompted him quietly.

"But… I don't know how I will leave her there, unprotected."

"Lady de Cullen will not be unprotected. Ben will guard her well – though I am sure the villagers will prove to be quite harmless. And once her family take her home, they will look after her."

"The de Cullens." The captain curled his lip in contempt. "I wouldn't trust them to do the job properly. They barely know her."

Mr Call gave an uncommitted shrug. "That may be true, but she is still one of them, and we are all aware that they _do_ know how to look after themselves."

The captain gave a bitter smile. "Yes, they do."

The quartermaster watched his friend thoughtfully. "May I speak plainly?"

"Could I stop you, if I wanted to?" Was the somewhat sardonic reply.

"Concentrate on the mission at hand. If your thoughts are distracted with worries, you will not only increase the danger to us, but also to Lady de Cullen."

The captain considered these words for a moment and inwardly acknowledged their truth. He needed to stay on the alert if he was to keep Renesmee safe. He turned from the rail and put his hand on his friend's shoulder, speaking bracingly.

"You're right, Embry. We must prepare."

"Of course." The quartermaster took his commander's cue and answered in kind. "What are your orders, Captain?"

The captain appreciated his friend's tact and gave his orders without delay. He then hurried to the quarterdeck and focused his attention on the command of his ship.

Night fell and the wind rose, catching the ship's sails and driving the _Rabbit_ swiftly towards the coast of Sol Duc. The beach where they intended to leave the ladies was enclosed by low cliffs, which ran to the headland on either side. A fishing village was nestled slightly inland. It consisted of small stone cottages built on the gentle slopes of the cliffs. The cove where the _Rabbit_ was to anchor was not visible from the village. It was concealed behind the headland cliffs.

As they sailed towards the cove, the captain gazed across the dark water. He was pleased that the moon was obscured by thick clouds, making it difficult for anyone to observe the _Rabbit_ from the shore. The village itself was only visible because of the lamplight shining from the cottage windows.

As he stared at the tiny village the captain took a deep breath. He was going to have to leave Renesmee there. He did not believe that the villagers would pose a threat to her, especially not with Ben on guard duty, but he still felt fear, cold and persistent, creeping up his spine. He took another breath and told himself to trust that she would be safe. Following his quartermaster's advice, he turned his focus to the task at hand, which was navigating a safe route through the darkness to the cove and avoiding the sharp rocks at the tip of the headland.

The _Rabbit_ cut through the water without mishap and once she was anchored safely out of sight, the large rowing boat and the dinghy were loaded with the trunks and lowered into the sea. It was only then that Lady Renesmee and Miss Weber were brought above deck by Ben.

The ladies both wore thick cloaks to protect themselves from the chilly night breeze, but they still shivered as they stepped into the cold air. All the lights on deck had been lowered and it took a moment for Renesmee's eyes to adjust to the darkness, as she glanced about her, in search of the captain.

She did not need to look for him. He spotted her the second that she appeared and hurried to her side. He slipped his hands around her waist before she realised that he was there. Renesmee gave a small start and then sighed with relief when she realised who was holding her.

"Oh, you startled me." She glanced up with an ingenuous smile and tried to make out the captain's face in the dim light. "I didn't know who it was."

The captain gave her an affectionate squeeze and leaned in close. His eyes burned into hers and she heard the possessiveness in his deep voice and a note of menace.

"Don't worry; I know how to guard my own."

Lady Renesmee nestled instinctively against his big body and gave him a timid smile. "If you always look that fierce, Jacob, I doubt that anyone would ever dare come anywhere near me…"

The captain smiled at this naïve statement and tugged her a little closer. "I wouldn't be so sure. There is no limit to the foolishness a man will commit in pursuit of an attractive woman. And your beauty could cloud any man's reason."

Renesmee blushed and lowered her eyes. "That's not true. You're just being nice."

He slipped a hand under her jaw. Lifting her chin, his black eyes drew her gaze, holding her captive. "Don't you remember, Nessie? I almost started a war to keep you."

"I remember…"

Without thinking, she raised a hand to the velvet skin of his neck and leaned towards him. Their eyes remained locked and Renesmee was sure that the captain was going to kiss her. She felt his hold tighten as he lowered his head. At precisely that moment Miss Weber, who was standing nearby, gave a disapproving tut and Renesmee froze.

She was perfectly aware that Miss Weber wanted her to stay away from the captain, but she was not prepared to sacrifice the very last of their time together. She would stay by his side for as long as she could, and was willing to endure the censure of her maid, or anyone else, in doing so.

The captain heard Miss Weber's tut and felt the young lady stiffen in his arms. He loosened his hold and glanced down in concern, but before he could speak, Renesmee grabbed his hand and manoeuvred him away from her disapproving maid, giving that worthy lady no chance to interfere.

The captain willingly assisted Renesmee in her efforts to escape her servant. He led her towards the unlit quarterdeck, well away from Miss Weber. They mounted the steps and crossed the wooden boards, pausing at the rail to stare into the night. He then turned to her with a thoughtful glance.

"Your maid seems troubled," he said in a low voice, with only the hint of a smile.

"Yes… she is." Renesmee glanced up with a guilty smile. "I told her that I was in love with you."

The captain appeared stunned. He gave a short laugh. "No wonder she's unhappy. What possessed you to tell her _that?_"

Renesmee searched his eyes in the darkness and replied a little defensively. "Would you rather I hadn't?"

He spoke gently, trying to reassure her. "I'm glad to know that you feel that way. But I wasn't demanding that you confess it to anyone."

She gave an apologetic shrug. "I didn't intend to make the confession, but Angela questioned me and I told the truth."

Renesmee waited for the captain to reply and when he did not, her cheeks warmed with a flush of shame. Did Jacob think her a romantic dreamer, or simply a fool? Did he believe that she was too innocent to understand their situation?

Whatever else might have been said of her, Lady Renesmee had the blood of two notoriously proud families in her veins, and before she could collapse into a state of wretched embarrassment that infamous pride came to her rescue. She drew herself to her full height and kept her eyes fixed on the rolling black waves.

"You will never know how lucky I feel to have met you, Jacob; this has been the most wonderful experience of my life. But please don't misunderstand my declaration. I may not be a woman of the world, but I am not wholly naïve. When I spoke to Angela, I was honest about my feelings, but I was also honest about our situation, both to her and myself.

"I have no claim on you. And I did not, at any point, pretend that we had exchanged promises, or made any plans for the future." The captain glanced at her sharply, but Renesmee kept her gaze locked on the sea. "I made it perfectly clear that I expect absolutely nothing from you, Jacob."

The captain finally replied, his voice deceptively cool. "Really?"

Renesmee refused to meet his eye. It was painful to acknowledge the truth. In fact, she would much rather have avoided the discussion altogether, but it seemed that there was no way around it. She suddenly felt far older than her years, and unspeakably weary.

"Yes… really. I hope for nothing…" She brushed her fingers over her eyes and sighed. "But I also regret nothing."

Renesmee did not know what else to say and she stepped back from the rail, moving away from the captain. Before she could take another step, he reached out and caught her arm in a firm hold. He slowly turned her to face him. Even in the darkness, his anger was unmistakeable. Strong hands ran up her arms, gripping her shoulders and pulling her close. He glared down, searching her eyes.

"Is that true, Nessie?" He asked in a low, dangerous voice. "You expect nothing? You believe you have no claim on me?"

She stared up at him, her breath catching in her throat. "I…"

The captain cut her short, clasping one arm around her waist and lifting a hand to her cheek, his gentle touch strangely at odds with his fierce countenance.

"Have you so little faith in me – in our future – that you don't even hope? Or would you prefer this to end now?" He asked bitterly. "Would you rather tell yourself that our time together was nothing more than a dream?"

Renesmee leaned towards the captain, gripping the thick lapels of his coat in her small fingers. "Jacob, what do you mean?"

"Don't you understand?" He growled, lowering his head, until their faces were barely inches apart. "You are the _only_ woman with a claim on me, Nessie. And I don't want to lose you."

"I don't want to lose you either." She clung to him helplessly. "My heart bleeds at the thought of leaving you, Jacob, but we have no choice."

The captain lifted her chin and gazed intently into her eyes. "Would you trust me to find a way?"

"What can we do?" Renesmee cried. "What future can there ever be for us?"

His expression became purposeful. "I want to marry you, Nessie."

Renesmee stared at him in astonishment. For a moment she wondered if she had actually imagined his words. She had been so convinced that their cause was entirely lost, she had not considered any alternative – especially not _that_ one.

"Jacob," she gasped. "Are you serious?"

"I have never been more serious in my life. We met only yesterday, but I already know that I could never be happy without you. You are more precious to me than any other woman could ever be, Nessie. I love you and I would wed you now, if I could, but I am forced to return you to your people tonight." His eyes never left her face. "If I promise to come back for you, will you wait for me? Or will I return to find that you have given yourself to another?"

"Do you really mean it, Jacob?" Renesmee slipped a hand to the captain's broad shoulder and stared at him beseechingly. "Will you come for me? Will you find me again?"

"On my honour, I swear it." His fingers moved to her jaw, sliding behind her head and twisting through her thick tresses. He tilted her head to kiss her. "And when I do, I'll take you away and marry you, sweetheart." Black eyes burned into hers. "Will you have me?"

Lady Renesmee knew what the world expected of her, she knew that she should not entertain the captain's suggestion, even for a second, but when she met his scorching gaze there was no doubt in her heart. She loved him and they belonged together. This man, this adventurer, was her destiny and she knew it. If she rejected Jacob now, she would regret it forever. But if she wanted to keep him, she had to trust that he was telling the truth. Renesmee suddenly realised that she had no choice to make at all, she already trusted him completely. He would never betray her.

"Yes, I will have you," she replied earnestly.

The captain pulled back sharply, searching her face, as if he could hardly believe his ears. "Truly? You mean it, Nessie?"

She nodded, gazing up at him with wide, serious eyes. "I will wait for you, Jacob. I promise."

He surprised Lady Renesmee, by going down on one knee and clasping her hands. He was so tall that they were almost at eye level, even though he knelt before her. The strength of his feelings could not be hidden as he stared at their joined hands. His voice was rough with emotion and she could hear the reverence in his words.

"For the faith you show me now, I vow that I will never give you cause to regret your promise. You will have my love, my allegiance for as long as I live, and I will protect you with my life."

"Oh _Jacob…_"

Renesmee's eyes filled with tears and she pulled her hands free to throw them around his neck as she burst into tears. The captain gave a short laugh of surprise and with a swift move, caught her legs from under her and swept her into his arms as he rose to his feet. He cradled her to his chest as she pressed her soft lips to his, exchanging vows without another word.

Who knows how long they would have lingered? But their time together was soon ended, when Mr Call discreetly climbed onto the quarterdeck to tell them that the crew were waiting to take the ladies ashore. The captain did not release Renesmee. Instead, he carried her from the quarterdeck to the main deck. He finally put her on her feet when they reached the top of the ladder which ran down to the rowing boat.

Ben and two other crewmen were already waiting in the boat below, as was Miss Weber. Paul still stood on deck, ready to assist his commander and the young lady. The captain gave his final orders to Mr Call and then climbed onto the ladder. Renesmee followed him cautiously, but quickly gained confidence. The captain helped her find her footing and the master gunner descended after her, guiding her from above.

The captain stepped into the rowing boat without hesitation and reached for Lady Renesmee. The master gunner steadied her as she clasped the captain's hand and clambered in after him. She sighed with relief when she was safely installed in her seat, beside her maid. Once Paul was aboard, the men lifted their oars and began to row towards the shore with sure strokes.

Lady Renesmee noticed Miss Weber's rigid posture as they sat side by side. She was as straight as a rod and refused to even look at her mistress. It was obvious that she was feeling both angry and disapproving, and Renesmee was sorry for it, but she did not try to appease her. She knew that any attempt would be futile. The only thing that would make that loyal servant feel better would be to see captain sailing in the opposite direction.

And so, instead of speaking to her maid, Renesmee sat quietly, snuggled in her sable cloak, listening to the waves lapping at the sides of the boat and the sound of the oars, cutting cleanly through the water. The captain sat behind Renesmee and she tried to resist the temptation to turn her head and look at him, which was difficult since she could feel his eyes burning into her back.

When she finally lost the battle and peeked over her shoulder, her eyes straining in the darkness to see his face, it was impossible to miss the white, roguish smile that greeted her. She hurriedly glanced away, ignoring the fluttering of her heart and captain's low chuckle.

The boat made steady progress around the looming headland and soon the beach came into view, and behind it the cosy fishing village. No one made a sound as they approached the shore. Renesmee's heart was in her throat as she scanned the beach, looking for signs of life. She was terrified that someone would spot their boat and raise the alarm. But luck was on their side. If the village had a watchman, he was not doing his job that night, and they reached the beach unobserved.

The moment they reached the shoreline, the men leapt out of the boat, wading through the waves and dragging it onto the sand. As Paul and the two unfamiliar crewmen began to unload the trunks and pull the tiny dinghy ashore, the captain came to the side of the boat and reached out to Renesmee. She happily allowed herself to be lifted in his arms and carried onto the beach without getting her feet wet.

As the captain stepped out of the waves, Renesmee happened to glance over her shoulder. She caught sight of the captain's steward offering her maid assistance. Ben may have been noticeably shorter than Miss Weber, but he did not let this deter him. As Miss Weber opened her mouth to reject his offer, he swept her feet from under her and turned determinedly towards the shore.

"Oh…" gasped Miss Weber, looking unusually flustered. "It's quite alright… you really needn't trouble yourself, sir. I can quite easily walk…!"

Her protests were in vain. Ben just smiled benevolently. "It is no trouble, Miss Weber. What kind of man would I be, if I let you get your shoes wet?"

This seemed to be a rhetorical question for which Miss Weber had no answer. She remained rigid and angular in the wiry steward's arms as he cheerfully carried her ashore. When they reached the rough sand he gently placed her on her feet and she smoothed her skirts and turned to him stiffly.

"Thank you."

Ben smiled. "Don't thank me, ma'am. It has been my pleasure to assist you during your time with us."

She looked a little less composed than usual and avoided his gaze. "Um… yes, well… that is most obliging of you… sir."

"Not at all," he replied pleasantly, oblivious to her embarrassment.

Miss Weber pulled herself together and turned to the trunks, which were being carried up the beach by the rest of the crew.

"What shall we do with our things?" She said, quickly changing the subject.

"As far as I know, the villagers in these parts are good, law-abiding people. Those trunks will be safe enough on the beach, for now. As soon as we find help, we will hire a wagon and transport them to the palace."

Miss Weber nodded firmly and Renesmee turned away and smothered a smile, hiding her face against the captain's shoulder as he carried her across the sand. When they were a short distance from the rest of the party, the captain put Renesmee on her feet. His reluctance to release her was obvious, and the second that her shoes touched the ground, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into a warm embrace. Renesmee raised her face to his. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"Oh, Jacob. I cannot bear to see you go."

"This is not forever." He comforted her, ignoring the twisting pain in his chest. "You know I'll come back for you, Nessie. We will be together again."

Renesmee clung to him, begging. "Please, come for me soon."

"I will, I swear it." The captain sensed her uncertainty and tried to speak lightly. "What's wrong, sweetheart. Don't you believe me?"

"Do… do you think…?" Her lip quivered, before she forced herself to say. "You… you won't forget me… will you, Jacob?"

The pain in his chest increased tenfold, but the captain replied gently, trying to reassure her. "That would be impossible. I could never forget you, Nessie. And I will _always_ come for you."

Renesmee gave a trembling sigh and hugged him tightly. "And I will be waiting when you do..."

The captain held her close for a long moment without speaking, just trying to memorise the feel of her in his arms, the warmth of her slender body as she moulded against him. But, all too soon, their time together came to a close, as the captain raised his head and glanced at his men, who were standing a little way along the dark shore. His crew were ready to depart and Miss Weber stood stiffly beside Ben, also waiting for them to leave.

He slowly loosened his hold. "Sweetheart, it's time for me to go."

"Oh, my goodness." Renesmee suddenly seemed to realise the danger of his situation and replied hastily. "Yes. You must leave right away. You mustn't say here, you might be discovered and taken prisoner!"

"Yes, thank you for reminding me."

He tucked her hand under his arm and grinned in spite of himself, but before he could say more, Renesmee was tugging him towards the boat, anxious for his departure.

The captain allowed himself to be led back to his crew and his lady's disapproving maid. When he reached them, he ignored the maid – and her disapproval – and gave his final instructions to his men. As they launched the boat he turned to Renesmee to say goodbye. He did not want to embarrass her by kissing her in front of an audience, and so he lifted her hand to his lips instead, and spoke in a low voice that only she could hear.

"Goodbye, my angel. May the Gods watch over you and protect you." As his lips pressed her delicate fingers, he glanced up and caught her eyes in the dim light. "Wait for me, Nessie, and I will come for you."

Renesmee squeezed his hand and met his dark gaze. Her eyes filled with tears and her words caught in her throat. She nodded and whispered. "I will…"

He released her fingers and reached into his coat pocket. "Keep this with you. And don't be afraid to use it," he said, pressing a gift into her outstretched hand.

"What…?"

She stared down in confusion and found in her palm a beautiful silver dagger, still in its leather sheath. She recognised the embossed handle. It was the very same dagger that he had lent her on the previous evening.

"Oh," Renesmee gasped in awe. "Jacob, I cannot. This belongs to you."

She tried to hand the dagger back, but he refused to accept it and gently closed her fingers around the hilt. "No, I will rest easier to know that you have it in your possession."

Renesmee noticed his earnest expression and nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, I will keep it until you return… and when you do, I will give it back." She discretely slipped the dagger into the pocket of her cloak.

The captain did not want the dagger back, but he was relieved that she had agreed to keep the weapon, and so he made no objection. He just gave a brief smile and glanced at his crewmen, who were now waiting in the boat. Renesmee watched his face and nodded bravely.

"You must go..."

"I must."

The captain lifted a hand to her cheek. A gentle caress, a loving smile, and then he was gone, hastening to the craft, which was already just beyond the breaking waves. He waded through the black foam and deftly hoisted himself over the side.

Once aboard, the captain turned to see the figures of Ben, Miss Weber and Lady Renesmee silhouetted on the shore. Renesmee give a small wave and he returned it, making a silent promise that when he returned he would not lose her again.

The captain lifted an oar and joined his men in rowing swiftly away from the beach. Although he performed a familiar task, he could not help feeling as if something was wrong, that something was missing. Glancing back, he suddenly knew exactly what it was. He had left his heart behind. It now rested in the hands of the beautiful girl who stood on the shore, watching him go.

The crew remained as silent as their captain; the only sounds to be heard were the quiet strokes of the oars and the waves around the boat. The silence was finally broken when the master gunner muttered darkly.

"I told Ben that if she comes to harm, I'll feed him to the sharks."

This unexpected comment brought a reluctant smile to the captain's lips. This was the greatest compliment that Paul could have paid Lady de Cullen. He must have thought very highly of their captive to show such concern for her safety, or issue any kind of threat on her behalf.

The captain was warmed to realise that Renesmee had won over his crew so quickly, but he could not bring himself to reply to Paul's remark. He knew that if Renesmee was harmed, neither Ben, nor any other member of his crew, should hold the blame. Her safety was his responsibility alone, and he would happily feed himself to the sharks if anything happened to her.

On the shore, Renesmee watched the boat drift further and further away. She barely noticed the tears which streamed down her cheeks, she could think of nothing but Jacob. It was only when the craft finally rounded the shadowy headland and disappeared from sight, that Ben's quiet voice claimed her attention.

"My Lady, it is time to go to the village."

She came to her senses and rubbed her damp cheeks with her fingers, unsuccessfully trying to remove the tracks of her tears, before turning to the Ben.

"Yes… of course. Whatever you think is best."

Renesmee felt hopelessly small and lost, and was only too happy to follow the resourceful steward's lead. She stumbled forward and might have tripped, had it not been for the sure hand of her maid, catching her arm and steadying her.

"Let me help you, Miss Renesmee. Hold onto me."

Lady Renesmee glanced at Miss Weber. She had expected censure, but was surprised to find kindness in that familiar face, and compassion. For, however disapproving her maid might be of Renesmee's involvement with the captain, she deeply regretted that her mistress was suffering, and she showed her sympathy in the only way she could, by offering the girl her arm and quietly guiding her up the beach, towards the sleepy village.

And so, as Renesmee sought assistance from her father's own countrymen, the captain reached the _Rabbit_. Mr Call greeted him gladly as he climbed aboard. He was relieved to see the captain returned unharmed, but he sighed inwardly at his commander's sombre expression.

Of course, Ben was still ashore, and Mr Call realised that the captain would be unlikely to relax until his steward was safely back on the ship. The _Rabbit_ was forced to remain hidden for some time, behind the headland, lying in wait for Ben's return. The whole time, the captain stood on the quarterdeck, his eyes on the dark cliffs. When his steward was finally sighted, rounding the headland in the tiny dinghy, the crew readied themselves to set sail.

Once Ben was aboard, the captain spoke to him briefly and then gave the order to sail, and the _Rabbit_ turned from Sol Duc and struck out, towards the open sea. Mr Call kept a polite distance from the captain during that time. It was only when they were safely on their way that he finally approached his friend.

The captain had remained on the quarterdeck the whole time, and when Mr Call sought him out, he found him leaning on the ship's rail, watching the shores of Sol Duc as they faded into the distance. The captain's expression was thoughtful, none of his usual exuberance was present, and when Mr Call saw him, he grieved for his friend. He knew that Jacob had found it difficult to let Lady Renesmee go and he wished, for his sake, that things could have been different.

He crossed the quarterdeck and came to a standstill beside the captain. They stood in silence and Mr Call wished for the right words. He wanted to say something helpful, something that would instantly restore Jacob's natural cheerfulness. But that was beyond him, and so he said the next best thing.

"I'm sorry, Jake… I really am."

The captain broke out of his quiet contemplation and glanced at Mr Call in bewilderment. "You're sorry…?"

The quartermaster tactfully explained himself, sensitive to his friend's raw emotions. "I'm very sorry that you couldn't keep her, Jacob."

The captain's puzzled expression disappeared as he finally understood his friend. He shook his head and his face broke into an unexpected smile.

"Not keep her?" He grinned. "Embry, I intend to _marry_ her."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes:<strong>

**Hello again :) **

**Oh my goodness, I just checked to see when I last updated this story and was shocked to discover that it was about eighteen months ago! **

**I didn't intend to leave it so long, but that's how it worked out. ****I put my energy into finishing the other story that I'd been working on (and already invested a lot of time in) and so, out of necessity, Pirate Jake was put on the back burner... but _not_ forgotten! This story remained in my head and I always hoped to work on it again.**

**It also helped that now and again I would receive a lovely review, reminding me that I _needed_ to post another chapter (thank you to those reviewers, your messages definitely motivated me to get the ball rolling again).**

**So anyway, it's great to be back, have a lovely Easter, and I will do my best to post the next chapter much more quickly...**

**Mad :)**


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